Columbia  (iuitJer^it|) 

intI)e(£itpofl!fttjf0rk 

THE  LIBRARIES 


A  Story  of  Fifty  Years. 


Nisi  Dominus  aedificavent  domum,  in  vanum 
laboravemnt  qui  aedificant  earn. 


"ORY 


FiFTV         EARS 


From  the 

^nnctl-    of  the  Congregation 

.KVIKVQVI\  .aMKd  a%TOVl  ,Z'H51KM  TZ 
r^.5S  -  igoS 


^ 


NOT<^E      OAM«i.     INDIANA 

THE      A  \/  i~      IVi  A  !P  I  A 


ST.  MARY'S,  NOTRE  DAME,  INDIANA. 


STORY 


OF 


FIFTY    YEARS 


From  the 

Annals   of  the  Congregation 

of  the 

Sisters  of  the  Holy  Cross 


1855  -  igoS 


WITH     lUUUSTRATIONS 


<?? 


NOTRE      OAM«^.-     INOIANA 
THE.     AVe     MARIA 


-ycih^] 


—  BECKTOLD  — 

PRINTING  &  BOOK  MFG.  CO. 
ST.   LOUIS,  MO. 


Jerusalem  beheld  the  Cross  divine 

Uplifted,  where  her  children  all  might  see 
The  outstretched  branches  of  the  fruitful  tree 

From  which  was  spilled  Redemption's  precious  wine. 

It  gleamed  across  the  dawn,  and  Constantine 
Before  its  glory  bent  his  royal  knee, — 
A  fairer  conquest  than  the  victory 

Then  promised  through  the  power  of  that  Sign. 

With  all  the  majesty  of  Calvary's  hill. 
And  all  the  glory  of  the  Roman  sky, 
Unchanged  in  promise  of  a  gain  in  loss, 
The  sacred  Sign  leads  on  an  army  still ; 

O'er  all  this  Western  land  its  pennants  fly, — 
The  army  of  the  Sisters  of  the  Cross. 


INTRODUCTION. 


The;  historical  data  presented  in  these  pages  which  set 
forth  the  glory  of  God's  power  by  the  ministrations  of  His 
servants,  might  be  entitled  Gesta  Dei  per  Sorores  a  S. 
Cruce.  God's  works  are  easily  distinguished  from  the 
works  of  man ;  for  human  success  in  these  works  is  but  the 
evidence  of  divine  activity. 

Fifty  years  have  passed  away  since  the  Sisters  of  the 
Holy  Cross  began  their  labors  in  this  land  of  promise. 
What  has  been  the  result?  Professed  sisters,  scholastics, 
novices  and  postulants,  nearly  one  thousand  in  number,  at 
present  minister  in  convents,  academies,  parish  schools,  hos- 
pitals, and  orphan  asylums  to  the  needs  of  something  like 
ten  thousand  members  of  the  human  family.  Read  the 
pages  here  presented  and  be  convinced  that  this  is  indeed 
God's  work. 

How  inadequate  must  appear  the  means  when  compared 
with  the  results  secured !  Philosophically  speaking,  nothing 
can  be  in  the  effect  that  is  not  in  the  cause.  The  results 
brought  about  by  the  Sisters  of  the  Holy  Cross  point  to 
God  in  their  labors,  the  all-sufficient  Cause. 


The  most  important  field  of  their  activity  is  education. 
Christian  education  is  the  need  of  the  hour.  The  future  of 
religion  and  morality  must  rest  on  Christian  education. 
We  are  happy  to  affirm  gratefully  that  the  various  religious 
communities,  and  in  particular  the  Sisters  of  the  Holy 
Cross,  have  been  instrumental  in  fostering  this  great 
work.  We  do  not  go  too  far  when  we  say  that  without  these 
religious  communities  Christian  education  in  this  country 
would  be  impossible.  Never  could  our  poor  people  pay  lay 
teachers  the  salary  they  must  receive  to  be  able  to  live.  Our 
Sisters  can  live  on  almost  nothing,  thanks  to  their  vow 
of  poverty.  They  work  faithfully  and  conscientiously, 
thanks  to  their  vow  of  obedience.  They  forego  the  pleas- 
ures and  comforts  of  life,  thanks  to  their  vow  of  chastity 
and  mortification.  For  God's  love  they  give  themselves  and 
all  they  have  to  the  great  cause  of  Christian  education,  and 
thus  render  that  most  necessary  work  possible. 

The  providence  of  God  has  created  religious  Orders  to 
supply  the  needs  of  the  Church.  Within  the  last  decade 
Catholic  schools  have  multiplied  wonderfully  all  over  the 
land.  In  proportion  as  these  schools  increase  numerically. 
Sisters  must  be  provided  to  teach  in  them.  It  is  God's 
work.  God  calls  His  own,  gives  them  the  vocation.  And 
yet  there  seems  to  be  a  dearth  of  vocations  in  this  country. 
All  the  religious  communities  complain  that  there  are  not 
enough  vocations  to  supply  the  steadily  increasing  demand. 
Upon  the  most  reasonable  supposition  that  God  gives  the 
vocations  necessary  to  carry  on  His  work,  we  are  forced 
to  conclude  that  many  vocations  are  lost.    Lostl  through 

viii 


whose  fault?  Pastors,  directors  of  consciences,  teachers, 
parents,  frivolous  youth,  an  alluring  world,  might  give  the 
answer. 

Not  in  the  school-rooms  only,  but  on  the  battle-field  as 
well,  have  we  seen  these  Sisters,  and  in  the  hospitals  and  in 
the  asylums  for  those  who  are  homeless  and  friendless. 
How  truly  great  and  noble  these  Sisters  are! 

To  read  the  history  here  presented  will  certainly  beget 
admiration  and  arouse  applause  well  merited.  Still,  there 
is  that  inner  life  of  the  Sister,  to  which  I  must  allude,  a  life 
known  to  God  only,  and  which  cannot  be  reproduced  in 
print  or  picture.  A  spiritual  effect  cannot  be  analyzed, 
though  we  feel  it  as  an  atmosphere  and  see  it  written  on  the 
countenances  that  reflect  peace  within. 

In  conclusion,  may  the  Royal  Psalmist's  words  apply  to 
the  Community  of  the  Sisters  of  the  Holy  Cross:  Specie 
tua,  et  pulchritudine  tua:  intende,  prospere  procede,  et 
regna! 


uc 


Contents. 


PAGE 

Introduction    vn 

fobewoed    1 

Humble  Beginnings   5 

The  Community  in  the  New  World 15 

The  Sisters  at  Berteand 26 

Development  of  Community  at  Bertrand 39 

Some  Successes  and  Failures 52 

The  Founding  of  St.  Mary's 63 

Relations  with  France  and  Notre  Dame 77 

■t^he  Civil  War  Period 89 

In  Ways  of  Peace 114 

An  Exemplar  of  Faith  and  Zeal 123 

Mother  Angela   133 

St.  Mary's,  the  Mother-House 148 

St.  Mary's  Honor-Roll  160 

A  Period  of  Quiet  Progress 180 

bT.  Mary's  To-Day  193 

St.  Mary's  To-Moreow  213 


List  of  Illustrations. 


St.  Maby's,  Motheb-House  of  the  Sistebs  of  the 

Holy  Cboss   Frontispiece 

PAGE 

Veby  Rev.  Basil  Mobeatj 5 

Veby  Rev.  Edwabd  Sobin 15 

St.  Maby's,  Bebtband,  Michigan 27 

OuB  Lady  of  Consolation 39 

St.  Joseph's  Chubch,  Bebtband,  Michigan 47 

FiBST  Buildings  at  St.  Maby's,  Notbe  Dame.  (1855) 63 

Chapel  of  Loeeto 83 

NoETH  Campus  and  Tennis  Coubts 97 

Riveb  Views  Ill 

Bend  of  the  Riveb  at  St.  Maby's. — Appboach  to  the  Academy  115 

Community  Chapel  119 

View  fbom  West  Obchabd 129 

Mothee  Angela   133 

Stile  at  Westebn  Appboach  to  Notee  Dame. — St.  Maby's 

Enteance,  and  Main  Avenue 151 

conatent  and  novitiate 155 

Community  Cemeteby  161 

Familiab  Scenes   165 

St.  Joseph's  Hall,  Academy  and  Novitiate 183 

St.  Angela's  Hall   (Gymnasium) 189 

Favoeite  Walks   197 

Collegiate  Hall 205 

East  Campus  209 


Foreword. 

4t  *  * 

It  is  a  generally  accepted  fact  that  the  early  years 
of  life  determine  a  man's  career.  Given  his  ances- 
try, the  bent  of  his  mind  as  shown  forth  in  child- 
hood, the  record  of  his  youthful  training  and  envi- 
ronment, and  we  know  the  man.  So  with  an  organ- 
ized body  such  as  a  religious  congregation,  the 
history  of  its  early  years  determines  in  no  small 
degree  the  future  of  the  community.  Given  its 
founders,  its  constituent  elements,  its  primal  object, 
and  the  earliest  application  of  the  governing  prin- 
ciples of  the  organization,  and,  with  little  philoso- 
phy, the  student  of  conditions  becomes  a  prophet. 

This  fact  it  is  which  permits  us  to  dignify  with 

the  name  of  history  the  records  of  an  organization 

which,  as  time  goes,  is  still  young.    Fifty  years  is 

not  long;  and  yet,  because  they  were  foundation 

years,  because  they  marked  the  beginnings  of  an 

influence  the  potency  of  which  is  daily  increasing, 

because  they  show  the  traits,  inborn  and  acquired, 

1 
1— 


2  A  Story  of  Fifty  Ye:ars 

manifested  in  the  early  days  of  the  community, 
the  Sisters  of  the  Holy  Cross  may  celebrate  as  a 
Golden  Jubilee  the  fiftieth  anniversary  of  their  foun- 
dation at  St.  Mary's,  and,  because  of  the  promise 
for  the  future  contained  in  the  past,  mould  their 
annals  into  the  more  formal  shape  of  history. 

And  here  the  question  presents  itself — What  con- 
stitutes the  history  of  a  community?  Is  it  the  gen- 
eral official  acts  of  the  various  administrations?  Do 
continuous  records  of  material  growth  and  finan- 
cial standing,  or  statistics  setting  forth  numerical 
fluctuations  as  to  members  and  establishments,  con- 
stitute its  history?  These  are  essential  factors,  the 
framework,  indeed,  in  some  cases,  the  fibre  and 
muscle;  but  the  real  life  of  a  religious  body  is  as 
vital  yet  as  elusive,  as  intangible  yet  as  real,  as  is 
the  germ  of  individual  life  which  bafiles  the  scien- 
tist. 

The  history  of  the  Sisters  of  the  Holy  Cross 
includes,  then,  the  official  acts  of  all  those  who  have 
at  various  times  been  intrusted  with  the  adminis- 
tration of  its  afifairs,  as  well  as  the  individual  acts 
of  those  in  the  ranks  whose  influence  in  the  shaping 
of  the  community  has  been  exercised  at  the  teach- 
er's desk,  in  the  multifold  duties  of  domestic  occu- 


FORI^WORD  3 

pations,  in  the  care  of  the  orphan,  in  the  ministra- 
tions of  the  sick-room,  or  in  silent  watches  before 
the  altar.  It  embodies  the  efforts,  physical,  intel- 
lectual and  moral,  of  every  member  of  the  Congre- 
gation, from  the  day  of  its  founding ;  not  only  that, 
it  holds  in  its  completeness  all  that  the  community 
has  done  in  the  way  of  inspiration  and  of  influence. 
Who,  then,  shall  write  its  history? 

There  is  an  outer  life  of  the  Congregation,  how- 
ever, which  is  in  a  large  sense  a  revelation  of  the 
inner,  the  true  life ;  a  life  made  up  of  the  expression 
in  word  and  act  of  the  spirit  of  the  community,  a 
life  recorded  in  achievements  more  or  less  signifi- 
cant. This  we  find  embodied  in  the  Annals  from 
which  we  select  the  points  of  narrative,  briefly  and 
in  merest  outline,  set  forth  in  the  following  pages 
as  the  story  of  St.  Mary's,  the  Mother-House  of 
the  Sisters  of  the  Holy  Cross  in  the  United  States. 
And  only  the  story  may  be  given  to-day.  The 
Annals  are  indeed  voluminous  and  contain  much  of 
general  interest  and  edification.  But  we  are  too 
close  to  what  constitutes  the  past  to  use  the  records 
as  history.  When  time  shall  have  eliminated  some 
of  the  personal  element  that  necessarily  enters  into 
the  archives  of  a  period,  and  when  it  shall  have 


4  A  Story  of  Fifty  Years 

softened  hard  lines  and  blotted  out  weak  and  faulty 
ones,  the  history  of  St.  Mary's  will  be  written. 
Then  will  the  honor-roll  of  the  Sisters  of  the  Holy 
Cross  be  given  to  the  world ;  then  will  their  heroism, 
their  self-sacrifice,  receive  full  recognition;  and 
then,  as  viewed  in  the  distance,  will  actions  be 
seen  in  true  proportion.  In  the  meantime,  while  the 
history  of  St.  Mary's  is  in  the  making,  this  sketch 
is  offered  as  an  earnest  of  that  later  story,  which 
shall  speak  of  large  outlook  and  calm,  impersonal 
judgment. 


«  f^**^f»nf  otted  out  weak  and  faulty 

of  St.  Mary's  will  be  written. 
lonor-roll  of  the  Sisters  of  the  Holy 
Cros5  ne  given  to  the  world ;  then  will  their  heroism, 
their  self -sacrifice,  r<  "uil  recognition:    and 

then,   :•■'"' 

,    - ...  ..t-.ry's  is  i;    .,   . 
-.*d  as  an  earnest  of  that  late 
shall  speak  of  large  outlook  and  calm,  impersonal 
judgment. 


Humble  Beg-inning-s. 
#  #  ^ 

1855  marked  the  foundation  of  St.  Mary's,  Notre 
Dame,  Indiana,  the  Mother-House  of  the  Sisters 
of  the  Holy  Cross;  but,  fully  to  understand  the 
nature  of  the  enterprise  implied  in  such  a  founda- 
tion, and  fully  to  appreciate  the  difficulties  involved, 
it  will  be  necessary  to  outline  briefly  the  history  of 
the  Congregation  in  its  humble  beginnings  in 
France  and  in  its  first  decade  of  years  in  this 
country. 

The  Napoleonic  period  in  France  was  followed 
by  a  half  century  of  religious  activity,  remarkable 
for  its  spirit  of  ardor  even  in  that  land  of  apostolic 
vocations  where  exalted  piety,  earnest  zeal  and 
generous  self-sacrifice  have  ever  been  characteristic 
of  her  sons.  One  easily  recalls  the  names  of  Orders 
which,  during  this  religious  renaissance,  had  their 
origin  at  Paris,  Lyons,  Aix,  Angers  and  other 
favored  places :  the  Marists,  the  Clerics  of  St.  Via- 
teur,  the  Sisters  of  Providence,  the  Brothers  of 

5 


6  A  Story  o^  Fi^ty  Ye:ars 

Christian  Doctrine,  the  Sisters  of  Bon  Secours,  the 
Ladies  of  the  Assumption,  the  Little  Sisters  of  the 
Poor,  the  Oblates  of  Mary  Immaculate,  and  a  score 
of  others ;  and  it  is  worthy  of  note  that  most  of  the 
congregations  formed  at  that  time  combined  the 
offices  of  the  active  and  the  contemplative  life,  as 
expounded  by  the  older  Orders  of  the  Church,  the 
secular  clergy  themselves  showing  forth  in  the 
works  of  their  ministry  the  fruits  of  a  truly  interior 
spirit  of  sanctity. 

In  the  city  of  Le  Mans,  Le  Grand  Seminaire  was 
a  centre  of  piety  and  zeal ;  and  the  worthy  Bishop, 
Mgr.  Bouvier,  was  a  constant  encouragement  in 
both  word  and  example  to  the  priests  of  his  diocese, 
holding  ever  before  them  as  a  motive  of  inspiration 
the  greater  glory  of  God,  the  salvation  of  souls  and 
the  good  of  Holy  Church.  Among  his  devoted 
priests  was  the  illustrious  Abbe  Moreau,  Canon  of 
the  Cathedral  of  Le  Mans  and  Professor  of  Divin- 
ity in  the  Seminary,  who,  because  of  his  profound 
learning,  singular  eloquence  and  boundless  zeal,  was 
often  called  upon  to  preach  retreats.  The  efficacy  of 
the  Abbe  Moreau's  labors  led  the  Bishop  to  author- 
ize him  to  form  a  society  of  clerics,  that  the  work  of 
conducting  retreats  might  be  furthered;    and  this 


HuMBi,^  Be:ginnings  7 

first  little  body  of  preachers,  five  in  all,  began  to  live 
a  regular  community  life  in  the  Seminary,  where 
they  remained  for  more  than  a  year.  This  begin- 
ning was  made  in  1834.  A  little  before  this,  an 
organization  of  young  men,  who,  without  aspiring 
to  the  holy  priesthood,  wished  to  consecrate  them- 
selves to  the  salvation  of  souls  in  the  work  of  educa- 
tion and  of  charity,  had  been  officially  recognized 
by  Mgr.  Bouvier  under  the  title  of  Brothers  of  St. 
Joseph.  Circumstances,  let  us  rather  say  Provi- 
dence, so  ordered  things  as  to  bring  about  a  union 
of  these  two  societies,  whereby  the  primal  object  of 
each  might  be  carried  out,  and  at  the  same  time  a 
mutual  advantage  be  gained.  The  new  society  was 
called  "The  Association  of  the  Holy  Cross,"  a  name 
particularly  suited  to  followers  of  Christ,  whom 
they  were  to  preach  in  their  words  as  in  their  works ; 
and  the  first  institution  of  the  new  Congregation 
founded  at  Le  Mans,  in  1836,  was  called  the  Col- 
lege of  Holy  Cross. 

In  every  work  of  charity  and  zeal  undertaken  by 
the  Church  of  God,  one  has  not  far  to  look  for  "the 
devout  female  sex" ;  so  to  this  little  body  of  laborers 
in  the  Lord's  vineyard  there  soon  were  drawn  sev- 
eral pious  young  women,  desirous  of  devoting  them- 


8  A  Story  of  Fifty  Years 

selves  to  religion,  and  of  sharing  in  the  works  of 
charity  and  zeal  of  the  new  community  by  serving 
the  priests  and  brothers  of  the  Holy  Cross.  Their 
providential  offer  of  service  in  domestic  lines  was  at 
once  accepted,  and  it  came  as  an  inspiration  to  the 
saintly  Abbe  Moreau  to  establish  a  third  branch  of 
the  Association,  a  sisterhood,  "to  co-operate  with 
the  other  branches  in  their  pious  labors,  and  to  labor 
themselves  in  a  particular  manner  for  the  benefit  of 
the  youth  of  their  own  sex."  This  seemed  to  be  an 
ideal  condition  for  great  results  in  spreading  the 
advantages  of  Christian  education  among  all  classes, 
and  the  zealous  founder  announced  his  design  to  the 
little  band  of  humble  volunteers.  God  seemed  to 
bless  the  project,  and  subjects  presented  themselves 
in  such  numbers  as  more  than  to  justify  the  Abbe 
Moreau's  hopes. 

The  first  candidates  for  the  new  Community  re- 
ceived the  Habit  at  the  hands  of  the  founder  on 
September  29th,  1841,  in  the  Convent  of  the  Good 
Shepherd  at  Le  Mans ;  and  there  was  a  special  sig- 
nificance in  the  names  given  to  the  first  four  relig- 
ious of  the  Congregation  of  the  Seven  Dolors,  as  it 
was  then  called :— Sister  Mary  of  the  Holy  Cross, 
Sister  Mary  of  the  Seven  Dolors,  Sister  Mary  of 


HuMBi^E  Be:ginnings  9 

the  Compassion,  and  Sister  Mary  of  Calvary. 
Surely  these  privileged  souls  could  not  forget  the 
object  of  their  little  band,  as  understood  then,  and 
formulated  in  later  years,  in  the  opening  chapter  of 
their  book  of  Rules : 

The  chief  aim  of  its  members  is  to  study  the  glorious 
Standard  after  which  the  Congregation  is  named,  and  to 
become  living  copies  of  the  Divine  Mother  who  stood  by  it 
on  Calvary.  There,  on  the  Mount,  the  Sisters  of  the  Holy 
Cross  will  dwell  in  spirit,  to  learn  the  value  of  their  own 
immortal  souls  and  the  signal  honor  bestowed  on  them,  to  be 
thus  associated  with  Jesus  and  Mary  in  the  great  work  of 
the  salvation  of  mankind. 

The  sisters  made  their  novitiate  at  the  Convent  of 
the  Sisters  of  the  Good  Shepherd,  where,  under  the 
training  of  the  Superior,  Mother  Mary  of  St.  Doro- 
thea, of  sainted  memory,  they  learned  the  first  les- 
sons of  the  religious  state  and  laid  deep  the  founda- 
tion on  which  they  were  afterwards  to  rear  the 
structure  of  their  spiritual  life.  At  the  end  of  a 
year  they  were  admitted  to  the  religious  profession, 
with  the  formal  title  of  Sisters  of  the  Holy  Cross 
and  under  the  patronage  of  Our  Lady  of  the  Seven 
Dolors.  They  then  took  possession  of  the  buildings 
erected  for  them  at  the  establishment  of  Holy  Cross, 
and  became  a  part  of  the  now  threefold  society. 


10  A  Story  of  Fifty  Yi^ars 

Father  Moreau  strove  by  every  means  to  foster 
a  spirit  of  union  among  the  three  branches,  each  in- 
dependent, yet  all  mutually  dependent ;  his  exhorta- 
tions to  his  religious  children  were  those  of  a  pious 
father,  and  he  often  spoke  of  the  community  as  "a 
sensible  imitation  of  the  Holy  Family,  where  Jesus, 
Mary  and  Joseph,  although  of  conditions  so  differ- 
ent, made  but  one  by  the  union  of  thoughts  and  uni- 
formity of  conduct" ;  and  deep  in  their  hearts  those 
first  members  of  the  society  cherished  these  words 
of  their  devoted  founder : 

In  order  to  cement  this  union  and  this  imitation  of  the 
Holy  Family,  I  have  consecrated,  and  consecrate  again,  as 
much  as  is  in  my  power,  the  Priests  to  the  Sacred  Heart  of 
Jesus,  Pastor  of  souls;  the  Brothers  to  the  heart  of  St. 
Joseph,  their  Patron ;  and  the  Sisters  to  the  Heart  of  Mary, 
pierced  with  the  sword  of  grief. 

The  Abbe  Moreau  had  a  deep  sense  of  his  respon- 
sibility, and  his  zeal  left  no  means  untried  to  per- 
fect a  foundation  which  he  hoped  in  the  designs 
of  Providence  would  become  a  not  unimportant  fac- 
tor in  the  work  of  Christian  education.  In  the  first 
days  of  the  community,  he  placed  before  the  Rev- 
erend Fathers  and  Brothers  associated  with  him, 
the  plan  of  government  definitely  adopted,  and  a 
summary  of  the  obligations  incumbent  upon  them 


HuMBi,^  Be:ginnings  11 

in  their  double  capacity  of  religious  and  instructors 
of  the  young  by  both  precept  and  example.  And 
when  the  guidance  of  a  third  branch,  the  sister- 
hood, devolved  upon  him,  he  made  his  general  in- 
structions include  them,  not  excepting  them  when 
he  urged  the  cultivation  of  a  truly  apostolic  spirit  in 
the  salvation  of  souls. 

Father  Moreau  realized  that  every  age  has  its 
special  needs ;  and,  while  inculcating  the  virtues  of 
the  hidden  life  and  a  sanctity  based  on  a  perfect  ob- 
servance of  the  vows  and  virtues  of  the  religious 
state,  he  so  ordered  the  governing  principles  of  the 
Congregation  as  to  meet  the  demands  of  the  times 
in  presenting  the  best  that  an  educational  and  mis- 
sionary body  could  offer,  without  in  anywise  allow- 
ing it  to  turn  from  the  way  of  the  Holy  Cross.  The 
spirit  fostered  in  those  first  days  of  the  Community 
was  that  of  the  many  other  saintly  missionaries 
of  France,  who,  in  early  years,  having  heard  the 
cry  of  souls  in  far-off  lands  that  knew  not  God,  had 
left  all  to  cross  unknown  seas,  to  break  a  path 
through  untrodden  forests,  to  traverse  ways  beset 
with  perils,  and  all  for  Him  whose  kingdom  is  not 
of  this  world.  Eagerly  the  Fathers  of  the  Holy 
Cross  listened  for  the  cry  that  should  call  them 


12  A  Story  of  Fifty  Y^rs 

forth ;  and  when,  on  one  of  his  visits  to  France,  the 
Apostolic  Father  Brute,  later  Bishop  of  Vincennes, 
spoke  to  the  young  Levites  in  their  monastery  at 
Le  Mans  of  the  work  to  be  done  in  the  broad 
stretches  of  Indiana,  like  the  disciples  of  Emmaus, 
their  hearts  burned  within  them,  as  they  waited  for 
the  call  of  God  through  the  words  of  their  supe^ 
riors.    And  they  had  not  long  to  wait. 

In  1841  the  Right  Reverend  Celestine  de  la  Hai- 
landiere,  the  successor  to  Bishop  Brute,  made  appli- 
cation to  Father  Moreau  for  volunteers  for  the  Indi- 
ana missions ;  and  those  chosen  to  fulfil  their  heart's 
desire  were  the  Reverend  Edward  Sorin,  then  a 
young  priest,  and  six  brothers,  four  professed  and 
two  novices,  who  left  the  Mother-House  at  Le 
Mans  on  August  5th  of  that  year. 

Three  days  later  these  noble  missionaries  stood 
upon  the  deck  of  an  outgoing  steamer  from  Havre ; 
and  if  their  eyes  and  hearts  turned  with  a  wordless 
longing  towards  the  land  of  their  fathers,  their 
souls  wavered  not  as  they  started  out  in  the  foot- 
steps of  those  men  who,  within  the  hallowed  walls 
of  the  Missions  Btrangeres,  in  Paris,  are  inscribed 
as  martyrs,  "men  who  had  forsworn  all  the  sweet- 
ness of  life  to  prepare  for  an  existence  of  infinite 


Humble)  Bejginnings  13 

hardship  and  toil,  with  the  probable  crown  of  a 
cruel  death."  As  the  members  of  the  heroic  little 
band  looked  out  over  the  waters  on  their  long  voy- 
age, the  Ave  Maris  Stella,  with  its  power  to  cheer 
and  to  solace,  rose  often  to  their  lips,  and  their  souls 
found  strength  in  their  watchword,  the  O  Crux  Ave. 
Weary,  but  hopeful,  they  reached  New  York  on  the 
Eve  of  the  Exaltation  of  the  Holy  Cross, — surely 
a  happy  augury ! — and  it  is  not  hard  to  realize  with 
what  fervor,  what  thanksgiving,  what  absolute  self- 
surrender  Father  Sorin  offered  the  Holy  Sacrifice 
for  the  first  time  in  the  New  World.  The  following 
letter  to  Abbe  Moreau,  announcing  the  arrival 
of  the  little  band,  is  as  eloquent  as  significant : 

New  York,  September  14,  1841. 

Beloved  Father : 

Let  us  bless  God,  let  us  bless  His  Holy  Mother, — ^we  have 
arrived  in  New  York,  full  of  life,  health  and  joy.  Our  de- 
voted Brothers  have  not  yet  entered  the  city;  they  were 
obliged  to  pass  last  night  in  quarantine.  But  our  good  God 
permitted  me  to  land  yesterday  evening,  the  13th  of  Septem- 
ber, the  Eve  of  the  Exaltation  of  the  Holy  Cross.  With 
what  happiness,  my  Father,  did  I  salute  and  embrace  the 
dear  land  of  America,  after  which  we  have  so  ardently 
sighed!  And  what  an  increase  of  consolation  to  land  on 
the  eve  of  so  beautiful  a  day!  It  is,  then,  in  the  name  of 
the  Holy  Cross,  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  and  St.  Joseph,  that 
we  have  taken  possession  of  it.     My  God,  what  a  happy 


14  A  Story  of  Fifty  Yfars 

coincidence !  What  joy  for  a  poor  priest  of  the  Holy  Cross 
who  must  love  nothing  more  in  the  world  than  the  Cross, 
to  be  able  to  say  his  first  Mass  in  America  on  the  Feast  of 
the  Exaltation  of  that  sacred  symbol!  What  a  delicious 
day  it  is  here — how  beautiful  is  the  American  sky!  Ah, 
yes,  my  Father,  "  here  is  the  portion  of  my  inheritance ; 
here  will  I  dwell  all  the  days  of  my  life." 


VERY  REV.  EDWARD  SORIN.  C.  S.  C. 


14  or  Fi^TY 


the  world  than  the  C 
It  to  say  bis  first  Mass  in  America  on  the  Feast  oi 
Lhe  i,xaUatton  of  that  sacred  symbol!  What  a  delicious 
day  it  is  htre — how  beautiful  is  the  American  sky!  Ah, 
yes,  my  Father,  "here  is  the  portion  of  my  inheritance; 
here  will  I  dwell  all  the  days  of  my  life." 


.■;:)  z  "D  Misioz  a5iK^HQa  .'^asi  ^i5ia^ 


The  Community  in  the  New  World. 

#  ^  #> 

Father  Sorin  and  the  brothers,  having  enjoyed 
in  New  York  the  hospitahty  of  the  venerable  Bishop 
Dubois  for  three  days,  set  out  on  their  wearisome 
journey  to  Vincennes,  which  they  reached  after 
twenty-five  days  of  hard  travel,  through  love  of  holy 
poverty  no  less  than  through  necessity,  having 
chosen  the  most  economical  if  slowest  route.  Their 
itinerary  reads  strangely  to  us  of  to-day.  From  Al- 
bany to  Buffalo  they  proceeded  by  the  Erie  Canal; 
thence  across  Lake  Erie  to  Toledo;  from  there  by 
wagon  and  boat  to  Fort  Wayne,  Logansport  and 
Lafayette,  where  they  took  final  passage  to  their 
destination  upon  the  Wabash,  reaching  Vincennes 
about  sunrise  on  the  second  Sunday  of  October. 
And  as  they  beheld  the  city  in  the  distance,  with  its 
cross-surmounted  church,  their  hearts  were  filled 
with  a  content,  a  sense  of  peace,  which  suggested 
rather  the  accomplishment  of  a  great  work  than 

IS 


16  A  Story  of  Fifty  Yfars 

what  was  in  reality  the  beginning  of  labors  under 
circumstances  most  trying  to  body  and  soul. 

The  first  settlement  of  the  little  community  was 
at  St.  Peter's,  a  missionary  station,  about  twenty- 
seven  miles  east  of  Vincennes;  the  establishment 
consisting  of  a  small  frame  church,  attached  to 
which  were  two  rooms,  a  sacristy  and  a  living-room 
for  the  priest;  there  were  in  addition  other  small 
buildings  that  served  as  kitchen  and  school-rooms. 
The  land  belonging  to  the  mission  comprised  in  all 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres.  Later,  when  there 
was  a  question  of  erecting  a  college  at  St.  Peter's, 
Bishop  Hailandiere  demurred  and  urged  sufficient 
reasons  for  preferring  a  site  on  the  St.  Joseph  River 
for  the  new  foundation.  This  tract  of  land  offered 
by  the  Bishop  of  Vincennes, — a  diocese  which  then 
included  the  present  dioceses  of  Chicago  and  Fort 
Wayne, — was  historic  ground.  It  was  situated  in 
the  northern  part  of  the  State,  on  the  banks  of  a 
river  beside  which  had  labored  an  Allouez,  a  Mar- 
quette, a  Hennepin  and  a  La  Salle  in  the  years  of 
discovery,  to  be  followed  in  the  pioneer  settlement 
days  by  a  Badin,  a  De  Seille,  and  a  Petit. 

Father  Sorin  accepted  the  Bishop's  proposition, 
and  on  November  16th,  1842,  he,  with  seven  broth- 


The:  Community  in  th^  Ne:w  Wori.d       17 

ers  (already  had  he  won  recruits),  set  forth  for  the 
new  estabHshment.  The  state  of  the  weather  and 
the  roads,  as  well  as  poor  facilities  for  travel,  kept 
the  little  party  on  the  way  eleven  days ;  they  finally 
reached  Ste.  Marie  des  Lacs,  on  the  banks  of  the 
St.  Joseph  River,  in  St.  Joseph  County;  and,  dedi- 
cating this  spot,  beautiful  even  in  its  wild  wintry 
aspect,  to  Notre  Dame  du  Lac,  the  pioneer  priest  of 
the  Congregation  of  the  Holy  Cross,  like  Columbus, 
planted  the  sign  of  salvation,  and  took  possession 
in  the  name  of  his  Queen,  Mary  Immaculate. 

Father  Sorin's  own  story  of  the  journey  from 
Vincennes  and  the  arrival  of  the  little  band  of  mis- 
sionaries at  their  new  home,  as  written  to  the  Supe- 
rior in  France,  is  epic  in  its  noble  simplicity,  its 
unselfishness.    We  quote  it  in  part : 

We  started  on  the  16th  of  November;  and,  indeed,  it  re- 
quired no  Httle  courage  to  undertake  the  journey  at  such  a 
season.  I  cannot  but  admire  the  sentiments  with  which  it 
pleased  God  to  animate  our  little  band,  who  had  more  than 
one  hundred  miles  to  travel  through  the  snow.  The  first 
day  the  cold  was  so  intense  that  we  could  advance  only  about 
five  miles.  The  weather  did  not  moderate  for  a  moment; 
each  morning  the  wind  seemed  to  us  more  piercing,  as  we 
pushed  forward  on  our  journey  due  north.  But  God  was 
with  us.  None  of  us  suffered  severely,  and  at  length,  on 
the  eleventh  day  after  our  departure,  five  of  us  arrived  at 


18  A  Story  o^  Fi^ty  Y^ars 

South  Bend,  the  three  others  being  obHged  to  travel  more 
slowly  with  the  ox-team  transporting  our  effects. 

Our  arrival  had  been  expected  and  much  desired.  At 
South  Bend  we  met  with  the  same  cordial  reception  which 
had  greeted  us,  fifteen  months  before,  at  New  York.  A  few 
hours  afterwards  we  came  to  Notre  Dame  du  Lac,  where  I 
write  you  these  lines.  Everything  was  frozen,  and  yet  it 
all  appeared  so  beautiful.  The  lake,  particularly,  with  its 
mantle  of  snow,  resplendent  in  its  whiteness,  was  to  us  a 
symbol  of  the  stainless  purity  of  our  august  Lady,  whose 
name  it  bears,  and  also  of  the  purity  of  soul  which  should 
characterize  the  new  inhabitants  of  these  beautiful  shores. 
Our  lodgings  appeared  to  us — as  indeed  they  are — but  little 
different  from  those  at  St.  Peter's.  We  made  haste  to 
inspect  all  the  various  sights  on  the  banks  of  the  lake  which 
had  been  so  highly  praised.  Yes,  like  little  children,  in  spite 
of  the  cold,  we  went  from  one  place  to  another,  perfectly 
enchanted  with  the  marvellous  beauties  of  our  new  abode. 
Oh !  may  this  new  Eden  be  ever  the  home  of  innocence  and 
virtue !  There,  I  could  willingly  exclaim  with  the  prophet : 
Dominus  regit  me  *  *  *  *  super  aqiiam  refectiones  educavit 
me!  Once  again  in  our  life  we  felt  that  Providence  had  been 
good  to  us,  and  we  bless  God  with  all  our  hearts.  When  we 
returned  to  the  house  of  Madame  Marie,  as  the  Indians  called 
her,  we  found  it  too  small  to  accommodate  us  for  the  night ; 
and,  as  the  weather  was  becoming  colder,  we  made  all  haste 
back  to  the  first  lodgings  that  had  been  prepared  for  us  in 
the  village.  Next  day  it  did  not  take  us  long  to  establish 
ourselves  better  at  Notre  Dame  du  Lac,  for  we  had  but  little 
to  arrange.  The  following  day — the  Feast  of  St.  Andrew, 
the  Apostle — I  said  my  first  Mass  at  Notre  Dame,  where 
M.  Petit  so  often  before  me  had  offered  the  Holy  Sacrifice, 
over  the  tomb  of  the  saintly  M.  de  Seille,  whose  memory 


Th^  Community  in  the:  Nkw  World       19 

is  still  fresh  and  revered  throughout  the  land,  and  who, 
realizing  that  he  was  dying,  and  having  no  priest  to  assist 
him,  dragged  himself  to  the  altar,  administered  the  Viaticum 
to  himself,  then  descended  the  steps  and  died.  I  cannot 
express  how  happy  we  are  to  possess  the  remains  of  this 
saintly  missionary !  The  death  of  M.  de  Seille  was  a  great 
loss  to  the  Mission,  especially  to  the  Indians  among  whom 
he  had  done  so  much  good.  His  place  could  be  supplied 
only  by  M.  Petit.  T  knew  M.  Petit,  the  worthy  Apostle  of 
the  Indians,  only  through  chance  meetings  when  travelling. 
But  now,  as  I  possess  all  the  books  and  writings  which  he 
left  to  the  Mission, — now,  that  every  one  around  me  is 
continually  speaking  of  the  good  M.  Petit,  and  that  every- 
thing here,  from  the  altar  on  which  I  offer  the  Holy  Sacrifice 
to  the  very  table  on  which  I  write  these  lines,  reminds  me 
of  dear  Father  Petit,  I  intend  to  make  him  my  model ;  and 
if  I  cannot  imitate  him,  I  shall,  at  least,  at  a  later  date,  tell 
you  of  what  he  has  done. 

Besides  being  the  nucleus  of  an  educational  cen- 
tre, Notre  Dame  formed  a  missionary  centre, 
whence  Niles,  Bertrand,  South  Bend  and  Misha- 
waka  in  the  vicinity,  and  Goshen,  Plymouth,  Ber- 
rien, St.  Joseph  and  other  places  farther  removed, 
might  be  attended  by  the  priests  of  the  Congrega- 
tion. The  work  was  arduous,  the  laborers  were  few, 
there  was  little  or  no  means  in  the  treasury;  but 
there  were  willing  hearts  and  hands,  and  there  was 
unswerving  trust  in  God. 

That  Father  Sorin  had  always  counted  on  the 


20  A  Story  of  Fifty  Ye:ars 

co-operation  of  the  Sisters  of  the  Holy  Cross  is 
evident  from  his  letters,  in  one  of  which,  under  date 
of  December  5th,  1842,  we  see  that  he  takes  for 
granted  the  sisters'  coming,  for  he  says:  "And 
once  the  sisters  come — whose  presence  is  so  much 
desired  here — they  must  be  prepared,  not  merely  for 
domestic  work,  but  also  for  teaching;  and  perhaps, 
too,  the  establishment  of  an  academy."  And  later 
in  the  same  letter.  Father  Sorin  writes :  "I  do  not 
need  to  remind  you  of  your  promise, — one  priest, 
two  brothers  and  three  sisters;  these  we  ask  for 
in  every  letter ;  all  are  needed.  I  forgot  to  tell  you 
that  one  of  these  good  sisters  is  necessary  for  the 
Indian  mission." 

The  first  building  planned  was  the  College  proper, 
but  the  first  structure  actually  erected  was  a  log 
church,  the  one  already  there  on  their  arrival  prov- 
ing too  small.  It  was  opened  for  divine  service  on 
the  Feast  of  St.  Joseph,  1843.  A  second  story  was 
added  to  the  humble  chapel  in  order  to  provide  a 
residence  for  the  sisters,  who  were  anxiously  ex- 
pected, and  who  left  France  on  June  6th,  1843,  with 
other  recruits  for  the  community.  The  first  Sisters 
of  the  Holy  Cross  to  come  to  the  United  States  were 
Sister  Mary  of  the  Sacred  Heart,  Sister  Mary  of 


The;  Community  in  thk  Ne:w  World       21 

Calvary,  Sister  Mary  of  Bethlehem,  and  Sister 
Mary  of  Nazareth ;  and  if  the  way  had  seemed  long 
and  toilsome  to  them,  there  must  have  been  no  little 
compensation  in  the  evident  joy  their  coming  awak- 
ened. These  pioneer  sisters  brought  with  them 
from  France — from  "home" — a  statue  of  Our  Lady, 
the  first  to  grace  Notre  Dame,  the  place  so  especially 
dedicated  to  her  name  and  honor. 

The  sisters  at  once  took  charge  of  the  sacristy, 
infirmary,  clothes-room,  laundry,  dairy,  etc.;  ren- 
dering services  in  a  hundred  ways,  and  making 
their  influence  felt  in  creating  a  home  atmosphere, 
and  lending  to  the  various  departments  an  air  of 
order  and  comparative  comfort.  A  second  colony 
of  recruits,  among  them  Sister  Mary  of  Providence, 
^  skilled  infirmarian,  arrived  in  November  of  the 
same  year,  and  upon  these  five  devoted  pioneer  sis- 
ters devolved  labors  that  to  us  of  to-day  seem  al- 
most incredible. 

The  annals  of  the  community  record  only  the  ar- 
rival of  these  devoted  co-laborers  in  the  founding 
of  the  Congregation  of  the  Holy  Cross  in  this  coun- 
try; and  yet  it  does  not  take  a  more  than  usually 
vivid  imagination  to  enter  into  their  feelings  during 
the  first  long  winter  in  a  strange  land  and  among 


22  A  Story  of  Fifty  Ye;ars 

strange  surroundings.  Father  Sorin,  in  a  letter  to 
France,  speaks  of  the  white  beauty  of  the  place ;  he 
also  tells  of  the  intense  cold,  and  adds,  "but  though 
at  times  the  blood  does  not  circulate  freely  through 
our  members,  provided  the  heart  still  beats  with 
love  for  the  work  of  Jesus,  Mary  and  Joseph,  what 
more  is  needed  to  make  happy  the  Christian,  the  re- 
ligious?" Such  was  the  spirit  of  the  founder,  the 
father  of  the  noble  band,  and  the  same  spirit  flamed 
ardently  in  the  hearts  of  his  subjects,  —  priests, 
brothers  and  sisters. 

Before  long  Father  Sorin  saw  the  necessity  of 
establishing  the  sisters  permanently,  and  of  open- 
ing a  novitiate ;  for,  if  the  field  of  labor  was  large, 
already  there  were  laborers  presenting  themselves. 
He  therefore  consulted  the  Right  Reverend  Bishop 
de  la  Hailandiere  with  a  view  to  obtaining  the  requi- 
site authorization.  The  Bishop,  however,  refused 
to  allow  such  a  foundation  in  his  diocese,  and  his 
refusal  was  certainly  justified  by  the  dictates  of 
human  wisdom.  The  diocese  was  in  a  formative 
state  and  gave  little  promise  of  maintenance  to  the 
already  existing  establishments.  At  the  invitation 
of  the  Bishop  himself,  the  Sisters  of  Providence  had 
come  from  France  and  had  made  a  foundation 


The  Community  in  the;  Ne:w  World       23 

known  as  Sainte  Marie  des  Bois.  In  the  almost 
trackless  wilds  of  Indiana  these  devoted  rehgious, 
with  true  missionary  spirit,  under  the  leadership 
of  the  saintly  Mother  Theodore,  were  struggling 
against  great  odds  to  establish  themselves;  hence 
the  fears  of  the  Bishop  that  the  diocese  could  not 
support  two  educational  institutions,  were  not  with- 
out ground.  Father  Sorin  did  not  share  the  views 
of  Bishop  de  la  Hailandiere;  with  prophetic  insight 
he  traced  the  geographical  circles  from  which  each 
of  the  two  sisterhoods  would  draw  their  immediate 
patronage,  and  the  lines  did  not  conflict.  But  he 
submitted  to  the  Bishop's  ruling,  trusting  that  God 
would  show  His  will  in  the  matter;  and  his  faith 
and  hope  had  a  speedy  reward. 

The  village  of  Bertrand,  a  few  miles  from  Notre 
Dame,  was  one  of  the  missions  under  the  spiritual 
care  of  the  Fathers  of  the  Holy  Cross,  and  it  sug- 
gested itself  to  Father  Sorin  as  a  possible  location 
for  the  sisters,  being  outside  the  limits  of  the  Vin- 
cennes  diocese,  and  yet  not  too  far  removed  from 
the  community  centre.  After  prayerful  delibera- 
tion. Father  Sorin  took  counsel  of  the  Right  Rev- 
erend Bishop  Lefevre,  laying  the  case  before  him 
and  petitioning  the  privilege  of  establishing  the  sis- 


24  A  Story  of  Fifty  Ymrs 

ters  at  Bertrand,  in  the  Michigan  diocese.  The 
necessary  permission  was  at  once  granted,  supple- 
mented by  words  of  approbation  and  encourage- 
ment, and  on  July  16th,  1844,  Sister  Mary  of  the 
Sacred  Heart,  of  the  pioneer  band  from  France, 
and  four  postulants  took  up  their  abode  in  the  dwell- 
ing house  secured  for  their  occupation  from  Mr.  M. 
Bertrand,  after  whom  the  village  was  named. 

The  Bishop  of  Vincennes,  on  hearing  this,  ap- 
pealed to  Bishop  Lefevre  in  such  a  manner  that  the 
Bishop  of  Michigan  withdrew  the  permission  he 
had  granted  for  this  establishment,  and  Father 
Sorin  went  to  Detroit  to  bring  about  a  final  settle- 
ment. His  visit  was  most  opportune,  for  Bishop 
Purcell  of  Cincinnati  arrived  while  Father  Sorin 
was  there,  and  to  him  the  matter  was  submitted. 
After  studying  the  situation,  he  decided  that  Bishop 
de  la  Hailandiere's  fears  were  without  ground,  and, 
as  a  result  of  the  conference,  Bishop  Lefevre  with- 
drew his  prohibition,  renewed  his  first  permission 
and  gave  to  Father  Sorin  and  his  young  community 
his  paternal  and  episcopal  benediction. 

In  those  early  days  sympathy  and  encouragement 
meant  much,  and  Bishop  Purcell's  kind  interest  in 
the    little   community   struggling   for   a   foothold, 


Thi:  Community  in  the:  Nkw  Wori,d       25 

placed  his  name  on  the  prayer-roll  of  the  Sisters  of 
the  Holy  Cross ;  and  in  later  days,  grateful  and  lov- 
ing sympathy  and  prayers  were  not  wanting  to 
him  from  those  who  had  learned  early  in  their 
religious  life  the  story  of  the  time  when  the  fate  of 
their  first  permanent  foundation  hung  in  the  bal- 
ance. 


The  Sisters  at  Bertrand. 
#  ^  ^ 

Th^  summer  of  1844  at  Bertrand  was  a  time  of 
preparation  to  the  postulants,  and  of  anxiety  and 
responsibility  to  the  Founder  of  the  little  community 
in  the  New  World,  but  there  never  was  any  ques- 
tion in  his  mind  and  heart  as  to  the  final  outcome. 
His  spirit  of  faith  was  as  inspiring  as  it  was  ardent, 
and  when  September  8th  was  announced  as  the  date 
of  the  Reception  of  the  Habit,  there  was  rejoicing 
in  the  humble  convent  at  Bertrand,  and  the  thought 
of  absolute  consecration  seemed  to  have  set  aside 
every  idea  of  sacrifice  except  its  beauty  and  its 
triumph. 

The  first  to  receive  the  habit  as  Sisters  of  the 
Holy  Cross  at  Bertrand  were  Sister  Mary  of  the 
Nativity  ,(Miss  Elizabeth  Daily),  Sister  Mary  of 
the  Holy  Cross  (Miss  Mary  Sweeney),  and  Sister 
Mary  of  Mt.  Carmel  (Miss  Mary  Dougherty).  The 
ceremony  was  performed  by  the  Reverend  E.  Sorin, 
in  the  little  village  church;   and,  as  the  prescribed 

26 


The  Sisters  at  Bertrand. 

#    4t    <l 

T^tm:  sumrnc;  Ijuk?  of 

ition  to  the  p*  ety  and 

sibility  to  the  Founder  of  the  little  commi- 
in  the  New  World,  but  there  never  was  any  ques- 
tion in  his  mind  and  heart  as  to  the  final  outcome. 
His  spirit  of  laith  was  as  inspiring  as  it  was  ardent. 
and  when  September  8th  was  announced  as  the  date 
'     '  ion  of  the  Habit,  there  \v 

of  ab>- ml.lv  v-...  •  .      .  ...v.> 

every  idea  of  sacrifice  except  its 
triumph. 

Tbf'  first  to  receive  the  habit  as  Sisters  of  the 
H  s  at  Bertrand  were  Sister  Mary  of  the 

ibeth  Daily),  Sister  Mary  of 
theHoiyCr.  -  ey),  and  w^ 

Mary  of  Mt.  Carnal  'herty).   .  :ie 

ceremony  was  perfornitr<  ^id  E.  Sorin, 

in  the  little  villar-  -^"^  <^  prescribed 


Th^  Sisters  at  Bertrand  27 

ritual  was  carried  out  in  its  simplest  form,  the 
Founder's  heart  must  have  been  filled  with  an  emo- 
tion that  the  grander  ceremonies  of  later  years  on 
like  occasions  failed  to  awaken. 

In  October  of  that  year  three  more  sisters  from 
France  joined  the  pioneer  band;  they  were  Sister 
Mary  of  the  Five  Wounds,  Sister  Mary  of  the  Cir- 
cumcision, and  Sister  Mary  of  the  Crucifixion ;  and 
on  December  8th,  the  second  reception  was  held, 
Miss  B.  Coffee  receiving  the  habit  as  Sister  Mary  of 
St.  Basil;  and  professions  were  made  for  the  first 
time  by  the  Sisters  of  the  Holy  Cross  in  this  coun- 
try, Sister  Mary  of  the  Five  Wounds  and  Sister 
Mary  of  Bethlehem  pronouncing  in  due  form  their 
final  vows.  These  ceremonies  were  held  in  the 
chapel  of  the  brothers'  novitiate,  then  occupying 
the  site  of  the  present  monastery  of  Notre  Dame. 

The  community  of  sisters  began  to  show  organi- 
zation, and  Bertrand  was  the  seat  of  the  humble 
Mother-House.  The  first  home  of  the  sisters  was  a 
small  frame  building,  rented,  as  has  been  said,  from 
Mr.  Bertrand.  It  consisted  of  five  rooms,  three  on 
the  lower  floor,  used  as  living-room  and  class-room, 
the  third  serving  as  kitchen  and  refectory;  the 
upper  story  in  two  rooms  was  used  as  dormitory 


28  A  Story  of  Fifty  Yfars 

and  novitiate  community-room.  Everything  was 
of  the  plainest  and  poverty  was  a  reaHty,  not  a  name 
alone,  in  this  humble  representation  of  the  home  of 
the  Holy  Family  at  Nazareth.  The  inscription  at 
the  head  of  the  stairs,  "God  sees  me,"  seemed  to 
be  the  motto  of  those  early  religious  of  the  Holy 
Cross,  and  the  atmosphere  of  a  house  where  God's 
holy  presence  is  ever  remembered  gives  a  strength 
and  a  serenity  of  soul  not  to  be  gained  otherwise. 
Hence  the  special  Providence  which  attended  those 
beginnings,  and  hence,  also,  the  debt  of  gratitude 
which  the  later  generations  of  Sisters  of  the  Holy 
Cross  owe  to  the  noble  pioneers  of  the  community's 
formative  years. 

Hidden  in  the  annals  of  the  early  Bertrand  days, 
like  a  rose  in  an  old  book,  we  come  upon  a  sentence 
which  stirs  memories  in  the  aged  reader  and  warm 
emotions  in  the  young;  it  comes  after  a  simple  de- 
scription of  the  little  frame  building  at  Bertrand, 
and  reads  thus :  "In  front  of  the  house  there  were 
wild  roses  and  sweetbriar."  What  a  beautiful  sym- 
bolism one  discovers  here!  Love  and  suffering 
within  the  convent,  and  their  types,  roses  and 
thorns,  without.  Many  a  fragrant  breath  of  the 
roses  must  have  stolen  in  to  refresh  the  weary  spirit 


The  Sisters  at  Bertrand  29 

of  the  young  religious  in  those  days,  and  the  sweet- 
briar  must  have  exercised  a  potent  charm  over  the 
wounds  of  other  thorns  in  those  times  of  hardship 
and  suffering.  Wild  roses  and  sweetbriar  of  the 
past,  no  flower  of  to-day  can  take  your  place  in 
annals  or  in  memory,  any  more  than  can  the  hearts 
of  to-day  replace  those  that  you  cheered  and  re- 
freshed more  than  half  a  century  ago ! 

The  work  of  the  sisters  during  the  first  year  at 
Bertrand  included  the  teaching  of  a  few  children 
of  the  neighborhood,  the  care  of  several  orphans 
and  the  laundry  work  of  the  students  of  Notre 
Dame.  This  last  work  was  carried  on  in  primitive 
fashion,  the  St.  Joseph  River  serving  not  only  as 
a  reservoir,  but  also  as  a  rinsing  tub !  The  sisters 
from  France  were  unacquainted  with  the  English 
language,  so  the  English-speaking  novices  and  pro- 
fessors from  Notre  Dame  gave  them  the  necessary 
instruction.  Meantime  the  lessons  of  the  religious 
life,  especially  those  of  poverty,  were  being  learned 
practically;  money  was  an  unknown  commodity, 
staple  provisions  were  furnished  from  Notre  Dame, 
which  did  not  always  find  it  easy  to  procure  them; 
and,  when  procured,  there  was  still  the  difficulty 
of  getting  them  from  the  college  to  Bertrand.    To 


30  A  Story  o^  Fi^ty  Ye:ars 

read  of  breakfasts  delayed  because  of  belated  bread 
supplies,  which  finally  reached  their  destination 
frozen  hard,  or  of  meals  without  meat  because  bad 
roads  prevented  travelling  between  Bertrand  and 
Notre  Dame,  is  quite  diflferent  from  experiencing 
the  effects  of  such  mishaps.  Yet,  while  such  things 
were  not  uncommon,  the  records  of  the  early  years 
mention  them  only  incidentally,  and  usually  to  illus- 
trate some  other  point,  as,  for  example,  the  efforts 
made  by  the  good  brothers  to  serve  the  sisters. 
The  duties  of  Martha  and  Mary  were  combined  in 
the  lives  of  the  devoted  co-workers  of  the  priests 
and  brothers,  and  a  spirit  of  piety,  of  faith,  of  trust 
in  God,  and  of  humility,  formed  these  first  Sisters 
of  the  Holy  Cross  after  a  pattern  higher  than  any 
formal  rule  could  set  before  them — it  was  the  life 
of  Him  in  whose  name  they  labored.  Father  Sorin, 
authorized  by  France,  was  formulating  the  Rules 
and  Constitutions  of  both  brothers  and  sisters ;  and 
in  a  letter  to  his  spiritual  children,  written  in  1845, 
he  assured  them  that  his  work  neared  completion, 
and  he  urged  all  meanwhile  to  conform  perfectly 
to  what  they  knew  to  be  the  foundation  of  the 
religious  life — the  spirit  of  obedience,  of  poverty, 
of  chastity;  and  above  all,  that  of  charity. 


Th^  Sisters  at  B^rtrand  31 

In  1845  a  grant  of  five  thousand  francs  by  the 
Society  of  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith,  and  a 
donation  of  seventy-seven  acres  from  the  inhabi- 
tants of  Bertrand,  made  it  possible  to  carry  on  and 
even  to  extend  the  work  of  the  sisters.  A  new 
frame  building  was  put  up,  a  structure  then  con- 
sidered imposingly  large;  it  was  of  two  stories, 
twenty  by  forty  feet,  with  a  one-story  addition  of 
twenty-five  by  twenty  feet  for  a  kitchen.  The  new 
building  was  finished  in  the  spring  of  1846  and 
was  named  "Our  Lady  of  the  Seven  Dolors."  Nor 
must  we  overlook  another  addition  to  the  institu- 
tion, namely,  a  blacksmith  shop,  purchased  for  five 
dollars,  which,  being  joined  to  the  convent,  made  a 
parlor  or  office  for  the  use  of  Father  Sorin  on  the 
occasions  of  his  visits  to  Bertrand.  This  little 
frame  structure  was  among  the  movable  property 
transferred  to  St.  Mary's,  where  it  more  than 
served  its  day  in  usefulness,  if  not  in  beauty. 

During  1845  the  little  community  was  aug- 
mented by  worthy  subjects:  Miss  Anne  Riopelle, 
Sister  Mary  Assumption,  received  the  habit  in  May 
of  that  year;  and  on  Christmas  day,  1845,  Miss 
Margaret  Gleason,  Sister  Mary  of  the  Compassion, 
and  Miss  Mary  Mclntyre,  Sister  Mary  of  the  Im- 


32  A  Story  of  Fifty  Years 

maculate  Conception,  received  the  insignia  of  mem- 
bership as  Sisters  of  the  Holy  Cross.  Other  co- 
laborers  presented  themselves  at  various  times  in 
these  initial  days  of  the  young  community,  but, 
because  of  poor  health  or  for  other  reasons,  did  not 
remain.  The  number,  all  told,  at  the  close  of  1845, 
was  fourteen.  From  that  time  on  there  was  a 
steady  accession  to  the  ranks,  and  receptions  and 
professions  became  of  frequent  occurrence. 

In  February,  1846,  the  following  report  of  a 
religious  reception  appeared  in  the  Catholic  Mis- 
cellany^ an  account  which  throws  light  on  public 
opinion  at  that  time  and  on  times  preceding  : 

Three  young  ladies  took  the  habit,  February  20,  1846, 
the  Reverend  President  of  Notre  Dame  officiating.  The 
imposing  ceremony  was  witnessed  by  a  number  of  protes- 
tants.  There  was  neither  contempt  nor  ridicule  on  this  occa- 
sion, which  was  very  different  from  a  former  one  fifteen 
months  previous,  when  the  first  ceremony  of  the  kind  took 
place.  The  spectators  then  were  all  sympathy  for  the  young 
ladies,  who  were  looked  upon  as  dupes  of  priestcraft  and 
superstition.  Their  action  was  considered  wicked  and  un- 
natural, and  those  who  did  not  do  worse  shook  their  heads 
at  the  religion  which  tolerated  a  course  so  anti-protestant 
and  anti-Christian  also.  The  ceremony  has  taken  place  sev- 
eral times  since,  curiosity  has  given  place  to  inquiry,  and 
the  marked  difference  of  opinion  and  sentiment  indicates 
such  a  change  as  must  be  highly  pleasing  to  the  Fathers  of 
the  Holy  Cross. 


The;  Sisters  at  Bkrtrand  33 

The  dress  worn  by  the  first  sisters  consisted  of 
a  black  serge  habit  and  cape,  a  blue  worsted  belt 
about  one  and  a  half  inches  wide;  a  small  linen  cap 
close  to  the  head,  a  band  across  the  forehead,  then 
a  second  cap  with  a  fluted  ruffle  close  to  the  face; 
to  this  cap  was  attached  the  guimpe,  and  over  all 
was  a  black  delaine  veil.  The  head-dress  resembled, 
in  general,  that  worn  by  the  Visitandines.  The 
chaplet  of  the  Seven  Dolors  and  the  present  insig- 
nia of  profession,  the  silver  heart,  though  not  ex- 
actly like  the  one  in  use  to-day,  were  part  of  the 
habit.  It  was  in  March,  1853,  at  the  investiture  of 
Sister  M.  Euphrosine  (Miss  Pepin),  and  Sister  M. 
Eugenie  (Miss  Nail),  that  the  cap  and  collar,  now 
worn,  were  finally  adopted.  The  uniformity  sug- 
gested by  this  detailed  account  of  the  habit  is  not 
to  be  taken  literally,  for,  from  the  diary  of  a  young 
religious  of  those  early  days,  we  learn  that  because 
of  poverty  there  was  no  little  variety  in  the  dress 
of  the  sisters.  Of  her  preparation  for  the  habit, 
she  writes:  "I  repaired  to  the  room  called  the 
Novitiate,  which  was  also  a  clothes-room,  and 
there  saw  Miss  Nail  busily  employed  sorting  pieces 
of  different  materials  and  shades  of  black  with 
which  to  make  our  habits.     Her  habit  was  a  com- 

3— 


34  A  Story  o^  Fi^ty  Ye^ars 

bination  of  cloth,  merino,  and  alpaca;  the  skirt  of 
mine  was  of  dyed  merino,  the  waist  of  some  other 
pieces  of  cloth,  the  sleeves  were  manufactured  from 
an  old  apron,  and  the  cape  from  an  old  black  shawl." 

In  1846  Father  Sorin  was  called  to  his  native 
land,  and  after  some  months  returned  to  Notre 
Dame,  with  a  colony  of  French  sisters  and  postu- 
lants; in  this  little  band  was  Sister  Mary  of  the 
Cenacle,  destined  to  play  an  important,  if  brief, 
part  in  the  new  community;  and  Sister  Mary  of 
the  Ascension,  long  prominent  in  administrative  af- 
fairs, and  who  lived  to  celebrate  her  Golden  Jubilee. 

Sister  Cenacle's  executive  ability  and  her  truly 
religious  spirit  commended  themselves  to  Father 
Superior,  as  Father  Sorin  was  called  by  the  sisters ; 
and  before  very  long  she  was  made  Mother  Supe- 
rior, in  which  capacity  she  won  and  kept  the  respect 
and  love  of  all,  and  administered  the  affairs  of  the 
community  with  energy  and  discretion. 

During  the  beginnings  of  the  sisterhood  at  Ber- 
trand  and  at  Notre  Dame,  Father  Sorin  was  all  in 
all  to  the  struggling  little  band.  Material  needs 
were  pressing,  the  disadvantages  under  which  they 
labored  were  many,  the  work  was  arduous,  but  the 
devoted  Founder  was  guide  and  help  and  strength 


The;  SisTi^RS  at  Be:rtrand  35 

to  them.  It  was  in  his  office  of  spiritual  Father, 
however,  that  he  aided  and  strengthened  and  con- 
soled best.  His  beautiful  spirit  of  faith  kept  theirs 
kindled;  and  his  unwavering  trust  in  Mary,  the 
Mother  of  God,  was  a  flame  that  touched  their 
hearts  to  ardor  when  hope  burned  low.  He  taught 
the  sisters  not  only  the  necessity  of  meditation  and 
the  spiritual  fruit  to  be  gained  therefrom,  but  he 
taught  them  how  to  meditate,  taking  the  method  of 
St.  Ignatius  as  best  suited  to  the  spirit  of  the  Con- 
gregation. He  came  frequently  to  Bertrand,  usu- 
ally on  Wednesday  evening,  gave  instructions  to 
the  sisters,  heard  confessions,  inquired  into  the 
little  affairs  of  the  day  with  fatherly  solicitude,  and, 
having  spent  the  night  at  the  home  of  Mr.  Ber- 
trand, celebrated  the  Holy  Sacrifice  on  Thursday 
morning,  with  a  beautiful  reverence  that  made  the 
Mass  seem  what  it  is,  the  "only  real  thing  on 
earth."  Then,  before  leaving  for  Notre  Dame,  he 
would  have  a  few  more  words  of  cheer  for  the  de- 
voted laborers  in  the  poor  vineyard,  and  his  parting 
blessing  carried  with  it  a  joy,  an  unction,  that  shed 
a  brightness  over  the  day  until  the  night  fell,  when, 
the  labors  over,  the  sisters  gathered  before  a  statue 
of  Our  Lady  to  sing  as  a  vesper  hymn,  the  Stabat 


36  A  Story  of  Fifty  Yfars 

Mater.  This  statue  was  brought  from  France  in 
1845,  and  was  honored  in  the  community-room  at 
Bertrand  under  the  title  "Our  Lady  of  Consola- 
tion," and  surely  there  was  need  of  Mary's  gentle 
help.  How  many  a  young  Sister  of  the  Holy  Cross, 
brave,  yes,  but  weary  and  disheartened,  perhaps 
just  ready  to  take  her  hand  from  the  plough  and 
to  look  back,  instead  turned  to  the  sweet  face  that 
made  the  heavenly  Mother  seem  an  earthly  one  in 
nearness  and  humanness,  and  in  that  look,  which 
was  prayer,  gained  strength  and  courage  anew! 
And  in  the  years  since,  has  the  statue  been  a  solace, 
a  comfort;  when  it  was  removed  from  Bertrand  to 
St.  Mary's,  it  occupied  a  mound  where  Loreto  now 
stands,  and  when,  in  1859,  Loreto  was  built,  the 
statue  was  placed  in  a  niche  in  the  faqade.  Later, 
when  the  community  chapel  was  erected  against 
Loreto,  the  statue  was  installed  in  the  novitiate, 
where  it  remained  for  several  years.  At  present, 
it  has  a  place  of  honor  in  the  sitting-room  of  the 
sisters'  infirmary,  where  it  has  a  double  claim  to 
its  dear  title,  "Our  Lady  of  Consolation." 

The  little  log  chapel  at  Bertrand  was  a  place  of 
memories  to  the  sisters ;  built  on  the  Niles  road  by 
Father  Badin,  of  missionary  fame,  it  was  moved  to 


The  Sisters  at  Bisrtrand  37 

Bertrand  and  joined  to  the  convent  building  as  a 
room  for  the  community  prayers  and  reHgious  exer- 
cises. It  was  the  ardent  desire  of  the  sisters  to  have 
the  Blessed  Sacrament  in  this  chapel,  and  Right 
Reverend  Bishop  Lefevre,  on  the  occasion  of  his 
first  official  visit,  readily  granted  the  permission; 
but  none  dreamed  how  tragic  would  be  the  manner 
of  the  fulfilment  of  their  hopes. 

jThat  night,  November  7,  1847,  the  village  church 
was  robbed,  the  tabernacle  was  broken  open  and 
the  sacred  vessels  taken.  The  discovery  of  the  sac- 
rilege in  the  morning  filled  the  community  with 
sorrow,  and  the  sisters  offered  prayers  of  repara- 
tion while  awaiting  the  coming  of  Father  Sorin. 
On  his  arrival,  he  removed  the  Sacred  Hosts  which 
had  been  left  on  the  corporal  to  the  sister's  chapel, 
and  the  procession  from  the  church  was  sadly  im- 
pressive. The  log  cabin  was  a  worthy  place  of 
worship  for  the  Sisters  of  the  Holy  Cross,  who 
within  its  hallowed  walls,  gathered  light  and 
strength  for  the  apostolic  life,  a  life  imitative  in  a 
degree  of  Father  Badin,  who  built  the  log  church, 
and  who  so  often  offered  the  Holy  Sacrifice  therein. 
This  zealous  missionary,  who  for  some  time  made 
Notre  Dame  his  home,  followed  with  interest  the 


38  A  Story  o?  Fii^ty  Years 

progress  of  the  new  community,  and  it  seems  espe- 
cially fitting  that  he  now  rests  at  Notre  Dame,  be- 
side Father  De  Seilles  and  Father  Petit,  a  trilogy 
of  names  that  live  on  the  pages  of  the  history  of  the 
great  Northwest,  and,  we  feel  confident,  on  the 
pages  of  the  eternal  records. 


CONSOLATION.     « 


38 


vKS 


prnq-ress  of  the  new  community,  and  it  seems  cspe- 
Pitting  that  he  now  rests  at  Notre  Dame,  be- 
side Father  De  Seilles  and  Father  Petit,  a  trilogy 
of  names  that  Hve  on  the  pa  he  history  of  the 

great  Northwest,  2 
pages  of  the 


/AOlTKAOZViO'D  ^0  -{QKA  TC^O 


'  1 1  y 


Development  of  Community 
at  Bertrand. 


^  ^  ^ 


Whe:n  the  charm  of  the  early  morning  hours  is 
gone  and  the  heat  and  burden  of  the  day  is  upon 
the  laborer,  there  is  naturally  a  flagging  of  interest, 
if  not  of  effort.  The  day  seems  long,  the  work 
hard,  the  earth  unresponsive,  and  the  heavens 
stretch  out  like  a  vast  dial,  marking  but  hours  of 
toil.  Then  it  is  that  the  inner  spirit  calls  upon  the 
strength  and  courage  gained  in  the  silent  night, 
and,  armed  with  purpose,  the  hands  take  up  the 
work  again,  the  mind  passes  from  seedtime  to 
ripened  harvest  fields,  and  the  heart  is  renewed  in 
hope.  Thus,  the  little  community  in  the  beginning 
of  1848  confronted  a  reality  that  called  for  heroic 
courage.  The  eagerness  of  initial  effort,  the 
strength  that  comes  with  united  action  in  common 
struggles,  common  dangers,  common  deprivations, 
had  lost  the  glow  of  the  first  fervor,  and  but  for 

39 


40  A  Story  of  Fifty  Ykars 

the  strength  gained  in  the  silent  watches  in  the  little 
log  chapel,  where  faith  and  hope  and  love  were  re- 
newed, the  Congregation  of  the  Sisters  of  the  Holy 
Cross  would,  in  the  annals  of  time,  have  been  "as 
the  remembrance  of  a  guest  of  one  day  that  passeth 
by." 

The  foundation  years  gave  place  to  the  period 
of  actual  organization,  and  from  1848  to  1855  the 
community  took  shape  along  positive  lines  laid 
down  by  the  intrepid  Father  Sorin,  who,  though 
known  in  those  days  as  Father  Superior,  and  later 
as  Father  Provincial,  had  all  the  cares  and  all  the 
anxieties  regarding  matters  spiritual  and  temporal, 
that  fall  to  the  lot  of  a  founder.  Details  were  not 
small  to  Father  Sorin,  and  yet  he  ordered  all  things 
with  a  largeness  of  understanding  that  marks  the 
wise  administrator.  Keen  insight,  quick  compre- 
hension of  a  situation,  full  appreciation  of  opportu- 
nity and  firm  grasp  of  affairs,  all  of  which  are 
looked  upon  as  characteristics  of  the  American  of 
to-day,  were  shown  by  Father  Sorin  in  the  formative 
period  of  the  community  of  sisters  under  his  guid- 
ance, and  to  his  wise  counsel  and  prudent  adminis- 
tration, as  well  as  to  his  constant  efforts  to  spiritu- 
alize actions  and  sanctify  motives,  does  the  Congre- 


DevKi^oPMENT  OF  Community  at  B^rTrand    41 

gation,  under  God,  owe  its  preservation,  its  growth, 
its  power  for  good. 

While  the  sisters  continued  their  services  along 
domestic  lines  for  the  Fathers  and  brothers  at 
Notre  Dame,  preparation  for  the  work  of  education 
engaged  the  special  energies  of  the  community. 
Professors  from  Notre  Dame  and  those  of  the 
members  who  were  competent  to  teach  were  em- 
ployed in  preparing  the  sisters.  Nor  were  students 
lacking.  Inconveniences  notwithstanding,  the 
school  at  Bertrand  had  all  the  pupils  that  could  be 
accommodated,  though  up  to  this  time,  because  of 
scarcity  of  teachers,  little  in  the  way  of  educational 
facilities  could  be  offered. 

April  28th,  1848,  brought  a  serious  loss  in  the 
death  of  Mother  Mary  of  the  Cenacle,  Superior  of 
the  sisters,  who  was  an  exemplary  religious  and 
wise  executive.  The  archives  record  that  "Mother 
Cenacle  was  a  woman  of  tried  virtue  and  of  more 
than  ordinary  merit.  Her  knowledge  of  the  world, 
her  tact,  zeal,  devotedness,  obedience,  spirit  of  faith 
and  of  confidence  in  God,  whom  she  loved  with  all 
her  heart,  made  her  beloved  by  all.  Her  short  life 
in  religion  was  a  long  series  of  acts  of  all  the  vir- 
tues, and  her  protracted  malady  placed  her  great 


42  A  Story  of  Fifty  Ye:ars 

courage  in  a  strong  light.  Of  her  last  end  it  was 
said,  *If  angels  were  to  die,  they  would  surely  die 
such  a  death  as  hers ! '  " 

Mother  Cenacle  died  at  Fort  Wayne,  where  she 
had  been  taken  to  consult  a  physician,  and  where 
the  Sisters  of  Providence  gave  her  and  Sister  As- 
sumption, who  accompanied  her,  not  only  hospital- 
ity, but  sisterly  kindness  and  sympathy.  After 
Mother  Cenacle's  death,  Mother  Theodore  Guerin, 
the  able  and  zealous  founder  and  superior  of  the 
Sisters  of  Providence  in  this  country,  moved  by  a 
generous  sympathy,  visited  the  bereaved  commu- 
nity at  Notre  Dame  and  Bertrand,  consoling  the 
sisters  and  aiding  them  by  her  motherly  counsel, 
and  this  at  a  time  when  her  own  way  was  beset  with 
trials. 

Sister  Assumption  took  Mother  Cenacle's  place 
temporarily ;  and  she  was  succeeded  by  Sister  Mary 
Redemption,  who  in  turn  was  replaced  by  Mother 
Mary  du  Sauveur,  who  was  brought  from  Canada 
in  July,  1849,  by  Father  Sorin,  to  be  Superior  of 
the  little  community.  This  appointment  was  most 
timely,  for  Mother  du  Sauveur  was  a  woman  of 
discernment  as  well  as  of  superior  education.  There 
was  an  immediate   impetus   in   school-work,   and 


D^v^i^oPM^NT  OF  Community  at  B^rtrand    43 

soon  was  inaugurated  a  period  when  it  was  said, 
"The  Academy  begins  to  fly  with  its  own  wings." 
These  "wings"  were  forty  feet  each,  and  attached 
to  a  building  with  ninety-two  feet  frontage,  a  struc- 
ture most  imposing  for  those  times.  In  1850  the 
roll  showed  fifty  boarders,  and  everything  was  so 
well  organized  as  to  justify  the  publication  of  a 
prospectus,  setting  forth  the  advantages  of  St. 
Mary's  Academy,  as  the  new  school  was  called,  and 
giving  terms  and  regulations  for  the  wardrobe  re- 
quired by  pupils.  The  reader  of  the  modern  school 
prospectus  smiles  at  the  schedule  of  prices ;  for  ex- 
ample: "Board  and  tuition,  thirty-five  dollars  per 
session  of  five  months."  And  one  sees  the  wisdom 
of  the  postscript  to  the  wardrobe  regulations,  which 
says,  "Pockets  must  be  inserted  in  all  dresses  of 
pupils."  The  directions  for  reaching  the  institution 
also  teach  an  object  lesson.  The  prospectus  states 
that  a  "daily  line  of  stages  running  from  Niles  to 
South  Bend  and  passing  through  Bertrand  forms 
the  connection  between  the  Michigan  Central  and 
Southern  railroads,  and  renders  the  Academy  easy 
of  access  from  all  parts  of  the  country."  In  those 
days,  to  come  from  Chicago,  one  had  to  take  the 
steamboat  across  Lake  Michigan  to  St.  Joseph,  and 


44  A  Story  oi^  Fifty  Years 

travel  from  there  to  Bertrand  by  stage !  However, 
in  1851  the  road  now  known  as  the  Lake  Shore 
and  Michigan  Southern  was  completed,  much  to 
the  convenience  and  advantage  of  Notre  Dame  and 
Bertrand.  In  January,  1851,  the  State  of  Michi- 
gan recognized  St.  Mary's,  and  granted  a  charter, 
which  seemed  to  insure  the  carrying  on  of  the  good 
work,  and  at  the  same  time  to  give  the  public  con- 
fidence in  the  institution.  Soon  after  this,  while 
Father  Sorin  was  in  France,  he  procured  what 
served  as  a  charter  for  the  spiritual  life  of  the  pu- 
pils— namely,  the  rules  and  constitutions  for  an  As- 
sociation of  Children  of  Mary,  with  an  act  of  affili- 
ation with  the  branches  of  the  Society  in  Europe, 
enriched  by  the  Church  with  indulgences.  The 
Sodality  was  formally  established  at  St.  Mary's, 
Bertrand,  in  May,  1852. 

The  same  year  Mother  du  Sauveur  was  replaced 
by  Mother  Ascension  as  Superior.  The  frequent 
changes  chronicled  for  the  early  years  were,  no 
doubt,  trying  in  some  ways ;  but  fortunately,  Father 
Sorin's  spirit  was  dominant  at  both  Notre  Dame 
and  St.  Mary's,  Bertrand,  so  a  change  of  superiors 
did  not  always  mean  a  change  in  methods  of  admin- 
istration. 


Deve;lopmKnt  oi<  Community  at  Be:rtrand     45 

The  disposition  to  spare  no  means  that  might  fit 
the  rehgious  for  their  work,  was  early  evident  in 
the  community;  and,  in  1851,  sisters  were  sent  to 
Loretto  Convent,  in  Kentucky,  to  take  lessons  in 
painting  and  music.  The  forming  of  a  class  for 
deaf-mutes  necessitated  the  special  training  of 
teachers  for  the  work;  so  Sister  Mary  Angela 
(Eliza  Gillespie),  whose  religious  life  forms  an  im- 
portant part  in  the  life  of  the  community,  was  sent 
to  France,  there  to  make  her  novitiate,  and  at  the 
same  time  to  learn  the  science  of  instructing  deaf- 
mutes.  On  her  return  in  February,  1854,  Sister 
Angela  received  the  "obedience"  of  directress  of 
the  Academy  at  Bertrand.  With  the  sisters  who 
returned  from  France  was  Mother  Mary  of  the 
Immaculate  Conception,  sent  from  the  Mother- 
House  to  make  the  regular  official  visit.  The  task 
was  a  difficult  one;  and  if  results  were  not  satisfac- 
tory to  the  community  in  this  country,  it  is  not  to 
be  wondered  at,  considering  that  the  visitor  judged 
from  the  standpomt  of  a  stranger  and  a  foreigner. 
Some  of  the  measures  taken  by  Mother  Conception 
were  looked  upon  as  drastic,  but  as  there  was  no 
question  as  to  the  visitor's  authority,  so  there  was 


46  A  Story  oi^  Fi^ty  Ysjars 

no  question  as  regards  the  obedience  rendered  by 
the  sisters. 

The  diocese  of  Vincennes  had  passed  into  other 
hands ;  and  while  there  could  be  no  impugning  the 
uprightness  of  intention  on  the  part  of  ecclesiastical 
authorities  there  or  in  the  diocese  of  Michigan,  the 
atmosphere  had  not  the  clearness  of  perfect  under- 
standing. The  relations  between  France  and  the 
Indiana  province,  and  the  relations  between  Notre 
Dame  and  Bertrand,  gave  to  the  little  missionary 
and  educational  centre,  notwithstanding  its  actual 
dependence  on  the  diocesan  powers,  a  seeming  aloof- 
ness, a  solidarity  that  presented  the  aspect  of  inde- 
pendence. Because  of  this,  there  was  a  withhold- 
ing of  that  full  episcopal  approbation  which  is  abso- 
lutely necessary  to  the  peace  and  happiness  of  true 
children  of  the  Church.  There  could  be  no  censure 
on  the  sisterhood,  but  there  was  wanting  the  sym- 
pathy which  makes  labor  light  and  which  takes  the 
savor  of  bitterness  from  the  bread  of  toil. 

About  this  time,  1854,  the  novitiate  was  moved 
from  Bertrand  to  Notre  Dame,  and  the  sisters  sta- 
tioned there  took  possession  of  the  new  house, 
where  the  privacy  of  almost  cloistered  community 
life  was  enjoyed.     But  God's  love  presented  fresh 


'^ji^HiMLJ^l'^'^^^'i^  •i.-"i'^; "  "•; -V- 


ST.  JOSEPH'S  CHURCH,  BERTRAm,  MICHIGAN. 


n  as  r-  he  obedience  render^' 

the  sisters. 

The  di'Vr-sc  of  Viucennes  had  passed  into  other 
hands ;  and  while  there  could  be  no  irripiigning  the 
uprightness  of  intention  on  t^  '  '     >    :   -f ;--i 

aut-^--* ••--■'  '■  ■'  ■  ■■"  '"■  *''-■ 


•  i  the  n 
Dame  and  Bertrand,  gave  to  the  little  missionary 
and  educational  centre,  notwithstanding  its  actual 
dependence  c^n  ^' '    liocesan  rtov,'r:,,-i  seeming  aloof- 


lutely  necessa.  ,     , 

children  of  the  Church.    There  >ure 

on  the  sisterhood,  but  there  was  wanting  the  sym- 
pathy which  makes  labor  light  and  which  takes  the 
savor  of  bitterness  from  the  bread  of  toil, 

time,  1854,  the  novitiate  was  moved 
from  Dame,  and  the  si 

tioned   Uicrc  '  i.juse, 

where  the  privary  •.>!    *  '-i      lamunity 

life  was  enjoyed.    But  v....  presented  fresh 


De:vi;i.opme:nt  o?  Community  at  Be:rtrand    47 

trials.  During  the  first  retreat  in  the  new  convent 
an  epidemic  broke  out  at  Notre  Dame,  claiming  one 
after  another  among  the  religious — priests,  brothers 
and  sisters.  It  proved  to  be  the  cholera,  then  prev- 
alent  in  the  United  States,  and  it  left  the  ranks  of 
the  religious  sadly  depleted;  while  those  who  were 
spared  were  worn  out  physically  from  nursing  the 
sick,  burying  the  dead  and  at  the  same  time  carry- 
ing on  the  duties  of  the  daily  routine.  Many  a 
scene  of  heroism  was  enacted  in  those  dread  days, 
and  many  a  humble  soul  rose  to  heroic  heights  in 
those  hours  of  trial.  Truly  God  was  with  the  com- 
munity, and  the  crosses  that  rose  in  the  graveyard 
were  so  many  new  claims  to  the  title  "Congregation 
of  the  Holy  Cross." 

While  Notre  Dame  passed  through  this  period 
of  ordeal,  the  establishment  at  Bertrand,  under  the 
direction  of  Sister  Angela,  succeeded  beyond  ex- 
pectation; she  seemed  to  impart  her  spirit  to  all, 
sisters  and  pupils.  The  standard  of  the  school  was 
raised ;  there  was  the  beginning  of  a  general  trend 
towards  the  best  in  the  intellectual  and  artistic 
training  of  the  students;  and  her  hands  fashioned 
the  first  rude  book-shelves  that  were  dignified  with 
the  name  of  "library."     But  this  success  notwith- 


48  A  Story  oi?  Fifty  Years 

standing,  there  was  always  a  feeling  of  insecurity 
by  reason  of  the  sentiments  of  the  Bishop  of  De- 
troit, and  Father  Sorin  thought  of  establishing  the 
sisters  at  Mishawaka,  where  some  time  before  he 
had  invested  in  property  with  this  project  in  view. 
As  a  preliminary  step,  a  school,  ''Holy  Angels 
Academy,"  was  opened,  with  Sister  Euphrosine  as 
Directress ;  but,  owing  to  prejudice,  fostered  by  the 
"  Know-Nothing  Party,"  there  were  few  pupils. 
Later,  the  orphans  who  had  been  cared  for  at  St. 
Mary's,  Bertrand,  and  the  pupils  of  the  Industrial 
School  were  transferred  to  Mishawaka,  where  they 
remained  until  May,  1855. 

Meanwhile  a  tract  of  land  west  of  Notre  Dame, 
along  the  St.  Joseph  River,  known  as  the  Rush 
property,  heretofore  resolutely  kept  out  of  the  mar- 
ket by  the  owner,  despite  the  efforts  of  the  Congre- 
gation to  secure  it  at  a  reasonable  valuation,  was 
sold  to  Father  Sorin  for  eight  thousand  dollars, 
whereupon  the  problem  of  a  suitable  site  for  the 
Mother-House  of  the  sisters  was  solved.  Father 
Granger  called  Father  Sorin's  attention  to  a 
wooded  elevation  on  the  river  bank,  a  mile 
and  a  quarter  from  Notre  Dame,  which 
seemed    especially    adapted    for    the    new    home; 


DeVE:LOPME:NT  OF  COMMUNITY  AT  Be:rTRAND      49 

and,  after  consultation  with  Bishop  Purcell, 
the  Chapter  of  Administration  resolved  that  there 
should  be  no  further  expenditure  at  Bertrand  or  at 
Mishawaka,  but  that  all  available  means  should  be 
used  in  establishing  the  sisters  on  the  site  chosen, 
a  movement  entered  into  with  spirit,  all  objections 
on  the  part  of  the  See  of  Vincennes  having  been 
withdrawn.  A  sufficient  appropriation  was  made, 
ways  and  means  considered,  and  the  corner-stone 
was  blessed  April  24th,  1855,  by  Father  Sorin,  who 
gave  the  institution  the  title,  "St.  Mary's  of  the 
Immaculate  Conception."  In  May  of  that  year,  the 
Industrial  School — ^pupils  and  building — was  trans- 
ferred to  the  eminence  overlooking  the  ravine  east 
of  the  present  buildings  at  St.  Mary's,  and  was 
known  as  "St.  Joseph's  School."  Later  it  was 
moved  a  short  distance  westward.  Excellent  train- 
ing was  given  in  industrial  arts,  until  in  1862,  when 
the  demand  for  sisters  in  other  lines  of  duty  made 
it  necessary  to  discontinue  the  work. 

In  May,  1855,  the  sisters'  house  at  Mishawaka 
was  placed  in  the  hands  of  a  contractor,  to  be  moved 
to  the  Rush  property,  and  the  closing  months  of  the 
school  year  at  Bertrand  were  marked  by  prepara- 
tions for  leaving  the  early  home  of  the  community. 


50  A  Story  o^  Fi^y  Ye;ars 

Very  material  encouragement  to  carry  on  the  proj- 
ect came  to  Father  Sorin  about  this  time  in  the  gift 
of  a  valuable  estate  in  Ohio,  by  Mr.  William  Phe- 
lan,  stepfather  to  the  Reverend  Neal  H.  Gillespie, 
C.  S.  C,  and  Sister  M.  Angela.    By  assuming  the 
mortgage  on  the  property  and  fulfilling  certain 
monetary  conditions,  the  community  secured  pos- 
session of  land  worth  three  times  the  indebtedness 
on  it.     This  unlooked-for  good  fortune  removed 
any  lingering  question  as  to  the  expediency  of  the 
new  foundation  then  under  way,  and  gave  fresh  im- 
petus to  the  work.    Everything  pointed  to  the  wis- 
dom of  the  move,  yet  the  sisters  of  the  pioneer  days, 
as  the  hour  for  departure  drew  near,  remembered 
the  roses  and  the  sweetbriar  rather  than  the  thorns. 
The  very  places  of  hardship  were  endeared  to  them, 
and  the  humble  chapel  was  full  of  hallowed  memo- 
ries.   On  April  26,  1854,  the  Association  of  Noc- 
turnal Adoration  of  the  Blessed  Sacrament  had 
been  established  at  Bertrand,  and  the  hours  when 
the  sisters  had  knelt  in  turn  as  ambassadors  for  the 
Congregation  before  the  Altar-throne  had  bound 
them  by  a  thousand  ties  to  this  home  of  their  early 
religious  life.     But  the  reahzation  that  the  same 
King  would  receive  their  homage  in  a  new  court 


De:ve:ivOpme:nt  o?  Community  at  Be;rtrand     51 

took  the  sharp  edge  from  the  natural  sorrow  of 
leaving  the  old  convent  home,  and  the  Commence- 
ment Exercises,  held  on  June  28th,  marked  the  close 
of  a  notable  epoch  in  the  life  of  the  community  and 
the  beginning  of  an  era  even  more  important. 


Some  Successes  and  Failures. 


4t  4t  4t 


In  TrueJ  character  interpretation  one  must  har- 
monize contradictions,  so  also  one  must  blend  suc- 
cesses and  failures  in  portraying  the  development 
of  the  Congregation  of  the  Sisters  of  the  Holy 
Cross,  thus  giving  recognition  to  the  fact  that  not 
results  alone,  but  processes  as  well,  make  up  life. 
Then,  too,  success  and  failure  are  relative  terms, 
and,  until  we  can  measure  the  force  of  a  spiritual 
influence,  must  remain  so.  In  the  early  days  of  the 
community,  many  of  the  undertakings  of  the  sisters 
more  than  met  the  most  sanguine  expectations, 
while  others  fell  far  short  of  even  reasonable  hopes. 
Whatever  the  causes  of  the  failures, — whether  er- 
rors of  judgment  or  understanding,  personal  limi- 
tations in  those  charged  with  the  several  works,  or 
a  combination  of  unfortunate  circumstances, — it 
remains  a  fact  that  every  enterprise  was  undertaken 
and  carried  on  with  a  good  intention.    The  results 

52 


Some;  Succe;sse:s  and  Failures  53 

only  verify  the  words  of  St.  Paul,  it  is  not  he  that 
planteth,  it  is  "God  that  giveth  the  increase." 

Within  a  week  after  his  arrival  at  Notre  Dame 
du  Lac,  Father  Sorin  had  written  to  the  Very  Rev- 
erend Father  Moreau  about  the  Indian  missions,  of 
which  the  new  home  of  the  Fathers  of  the  Holy 
Cross  was  the  centre.  He  related  to  him  the  story 
of  Father  De  Seille  and  Father  Petit,  and  asked  if 
he  might  follow  their  example  and  devote  himself 
to  the  needs  of  the  Indians.  He  referred  to  his 
love  for  the  work  imposed  on  him  by  obedience, 
but  added  with  simple  earnestness:  "To  declare 
everything  without  reserve,  I  love,  too,  the  Indians 
of  M.  De  Seille  and  of  M.  Petit.  I  thank  Heaven 
that  I  am  now  among  them.  I  see  nothing  in  the 
world  to  be  preferred  to  the  condition  of  a  mission- 
ary among  the  Indians.  I  have  been  informed  of 
the  best  means  of  inducing  them  to  do  good,  and, 
I  hope,  with  the  help  of  God,  to  succeed  in  this  some 
day.  I  am  still  young,  I  shall  learn  their  language 
in  a  short  time ;  in  a  year  I  hope  to  be  able  to  under- 
stand them.  Let  me  then  hasten  to  my  dear  Indi- 
ans. Yes,  it  is  settled,  you  grant  my  request,  you 
permit  me  to  look  upon  this  flock,  now  without  a 
shepherd,  as  my  own  portion." 


54  A  Story  o^  Fi^ty  Ye:ars 

In  the  same  letter,  as  recorded  elsewhere,  Father 
Sorin  asked  for  sisters  for  the  Indian  mission.  At 
the  Mother-House  in  France,  the  apostolic  spirit 
was  strong,  and  this  country  was  regarded  by  many 
of  the  priests,  brothers  and  sisters  only  as  the  home 
of  the  Indian,  From  a  diary  of  a  member  of  the 
community,  still  living,  we  learn  that  she  was 
drawn  to  Holy  Cross  through  accounts  given  by 
Father  Baroux  of  the  labors  of  the  sisters  at  Poka- 
gon,  Michigan.  And  this  missionary  spirit  was 
manifested  as  a  community  characteristic  from  the 
first. 

The  sisters  arrived  at  Notre  Dame  in  1843,  and 
in  the  spring  of  1845,  Sister  Mary  of  the  Crucifix- 
ion (Angot)  and  Sister  Mary  of  the  Holy  Cross 
(Sweeney)  went  from  Bertrand  to  Pokagon  to 
teach  the  Indians.  Father  Allouez,  in  1680,  had 
founded  a  Christian  settlement  among  the  Potta- 
wattomies,  near  the  present  site  of  Niles,  Michigan, 
and  the  mission  work  was  kept  up  until  1759;  then, 
for  want  of  laborers,  the  vineyard  was  without  care, 
except  for  the  ministrations  of  passing  mission- 
aries, until  in  1830,  when,  in  answer  to  an  appeal 
to  the  See  of  Detroit  by  the  Chief  Pokagon,  the 
services  of  Father  Badin,  the  first  priest  ordained 


SoM^  Succ^ss^s  AND  Faii,ure:s  55 

in  the  United  States,  were  secured  for  the  Indians. 
The  Chief's  petition  has  all  the  simple  dignity  of 
sincerity,  and  speaks  volumes  for  the  spirit  incul- 
cated by  the  early  missionaries.  One  can  readily 
picture  Pokagon's  erect  form  and  earnest  face  as 
he  thus  pleaded: 

My  Father,  I  come  again  to  implore  you  to  send  us  a 
Black  Robe  to  instruct  us  in  the  Word  of  God.  If  you  have 
no  care  for  us  old  men,  at  least  have  pity  on  our  poor 
children,  who  are  growing  up  as  we  have  lived,  in  ignorance 
and  vice.  *  *  *  We  still  preserve  the  manner  of  prayer 
as  taught  to  our  ancestors  by  the  Black  Robe  who  formerly 
resided  at  St.  Joseph.  Morning  and  evening,  with  my  wife 
and  children,  we  pray  together  before  the  crucifix.  Sunday 
we  pray  together  oftener.  On  Fridays  we  fast  until  even- 
ing, men,  women  and  children,  according  to  the  traditions 
handed  down  by  our  fathers  and  mothers,  for  we  ourselves 
have  never  seen  a  Black  Robe  at  St.  Joseph.  Listen  to  the 
prayers  which  he  taught  to  them  and  see  if  I  have  not 
learned  them  correctly. 

And  the  records  go  on  to  say  that  the  Chief  then 
fell  upon  his  knees,  made  the  Sign  of  the  Cross 
and  recited  in  his  own  language  the  Lord's  Prayer, 
the  Hail  Mary,  the  Apostles'  Creed  and  the  Ten 
Commandments. 

Father  Badin  was  succeeded  in  1832  by  Father 
De  Seille,  and  his  work  was  taken  up  by  Father 
Benjamin  M.  Petit.    A  few  years  before  the  com- 


56  A  Story  of  Fifty  Yejars 

ing  of  the  sisters,  the  Government  had  transferred 
the  Indians  of  this  region  to  a  reservation  west  of 
the  Mississippi ;  but  there  were  some  who  preferred 
to  depend  upon  the  soil  and  their  own  labors,  so 
they  remained  in  Southern  Michigan  and  Northern 
Indiana,  forming  a  part  of  the  then  existing  par- 
ishes. There  were  about  two  hundred  in  all,  and  it 
was  to  teach  the  children  of  these  Indian  families 
that  the  religious  went  to  Pokagon. 

The  sisters  occupied  a  small  log  house,  close  to 
the  little  frame  church.  They  learned  the  language 
of  their  pupils,  taught  them  their  religion  and  the 
ordinary  branches  of  a  common  school  education, 
entering  into  their  hopes  and  plans  with  an  interest 
that  won  gratitude  and  confidence.  Indian  hymn- 
books  were  secured,  and  the  praises  of  Mary  rose 
before  Our  Lady's  shrine  with  a  sweet  earnestness 
that  brought  solace  to  the  devoted  teachers  and  en- 
couragement in  the  arduous  work.  Sister  M.  Basil, 
Sister  M.  of  the  Assumption,  Sister  M.  of  the  Sa- 
cred Heart  and  Sister  M.  of  the  Redemption  were 
among  the  missionary  sisters  at  different  times,  and 
often  in  the  vacations  they  entertained  the  commu- 
nity by  telling  their  experiences  with  the  Indians 
and  by  dramatically  rendering  the  Indian  songs  and 


Some:  Successes  and  Failures  57 

hymns.  It  was  a  happy  mission,  but  the  building 
up  of  the  country  and  the  gradual  dispersion  of  the 
Indians  did  away  with  the  need  of  the  sisters,  and 
the  house  at  Pokagon  was  closed,  after  a  period  of 
usefulness  extending  over  about  seven  years. 

Between  1847  and  1855,  foundations  were  made 
at  St.  John's,  Mackinac,  Louisville,  Lowell,  La- 
porte,  Michigan  City  and  Mishawaka.  But  the 
scattered  population,  the  scarcity  of  permanent 
priests,  which  made  it  impossible  for  the  sisters  to 
hear  Mass  and  receive  the  Sacraments  regularly, 
the  difficulty  of  direct  communication  with  the 
Mother-House,  and  the  absence  in  not  a  few  cases 
of  the  necessities  of  subsistence,  made  it  imperative 
to  give  up  some  missions  which  in  the  beginning 
had  seemed  promising.  Of  the  above  establish- 
ments, Lowell,  Laporte  and  Michigan  City  are  the 
only  ones  that  became  permanent. 

In  1847,  four  sisters  formed  part  of  a  colony 
which  made  a  foundation  at  St.  Laurent,  Canada; 
but  as  the  Mother  House  in  France  had  most  to  do 
with  its  development  and  as  it  remains  under  the 
authority  of  France,  the  history  of  its  progress, 
however  interesting  and  edifying,  does  not  properly 
belong  to  this  narrative,     A  little  later  than  the 


58  A  Story  of  Fifty  Ye;ars 

Canadian  settlement  was  that  of  New  Orleans, 
which  also  forms  a  part  of  the  French  Congrega- 
tion. It  was  opened  in  1849,  when  four  sisters 
went  to  assist  the  priests  and  brothers  and  to  care 
for  boys  at  an  orphan  asylum  in  that  city.  The 
development  of  the  Southern  establishment  was 
rapid  and  other  lines  of  work  demanded  attention. 
It  was  evident  to  those  at  New  Orleans  and  at 
Notre  Dame  that  a  novitiate  was  a  real  need  and 
Ste.  Croix,  France,  was  early  petitioned  for  the 
necessary  authorization.  At  the  instance  of  Father 
Moreau,  a  foundation  was  made  in  New  York  from 
New  Orleans  in  1854,  and  glowing  representations 
of  the  situation  on  the  part  of  the  superior  then  in 
charge  in  New  York,  resulted  in  the  sending  of 
sisters  for  the  undertaking  from  Notre  Dame,  Can- 
ada, and  New  Orleans.  Father  Sorin,  supposing 
that  Notre  Dame  du  Lac  was  the  Mother-House  for 
the  missions  in  this  country,  took  measures  regard- 
ing the  personnel  of  the  institution,  which  met  with 
opposition  because  of  counter-orders  from  France. 
Misunderstandings  between  the  ecclesiastical  au- 
thorities in  New  York  and  those  of  the  community, 
disaffection  among  members  in  New  Orleans  and 
in  New  York,  and  individual  errors  in  judgment 


Some  Succe:ssks  and  Faii,ure:s  59 

and  discretion,  brought  about,  both  in  New  Orleans 
and  New  York,  conditions  painful  and  humiliating 
to  those  to  whom  the  honor  of  the  Congregation 
was  sacred.  There  could  be  but  one  course  to  pur- 
sue in  regard  to  the  Eastern  house ;  the  sisters  were 
withdrawn  and  the  institution  closed. 

The  year  1856  witnessed  the  establishment  of 
the  Sisters  of  the  Holy  Cross  in  Chicago,  where, 
under  the  Right  Reverend  Bishop  O'Regan,  they 
took  charge  of  the  domestic  service  of  the  Univer- 
sity, conducted  by  the  Fathers  and  Brothers  of  the 
Holy  Cross,  taught  the  Holy  Name  parochial 
schools,  St.  Joseph's  German  school,  and  opened  an 
industrial  school.  The  difficulties  inevitable  in 
foundation  days  were  encountered,  but  there  was 
an  encouraging  interest  in  the  work  on  the  part  of 
the  clergy  and  people.  The  schools  were  prosper- 
ous and  the  field  for  good  seemed  to  promise  results 
gratifying  to  the  community.  But  the  transfer  of 
Bishop  O'Regan  in  1858,  and  the  subsequent  in- 
stallation of  the  Right  Reverend  Bishop  Duggan, 
as  his  successor,  brought  about  great  changes.  The 
new  incumbent  refused  to  recognize  the  arrange- 
ments or  even  the  formal  contracts  of  his  predeces- 
sor in  regard  to  the  devoted  Fathers  and  Brothers 


60  A  Story  of  Fifty  Years 

of  the  Holy  Cross;  and  after  a  series  of  appeals, 
the  Congregation  was  recalled  by  Father  Sorin, 
the  sisters  being  included  in  the  withdrawal,  al- 
though they  were  not  directly  concerned  in  the  un- 
pleasantness with  the  Bishop.  The  account  of  the 
sisters'  departure  as  recorded  in  the  diary  of  one 
of  the  religious,  tells  us  with  a  touch  of  humor, 
that  "Captain  Gleason,  who  was  preparing  to  go 
to  the  war,  had  his  company,  the  Montgomery 
Guards,  and  a  band  of  music,  escort  us  to  the  depot, 
and  Mother  Liguori  remarked  that  our  departure 
looked  like  a  triumph."  The  "triumph"  was  only 
in  looks,  however ;  for  the  sisters  left  Chicago  with 
regret.  They  had  made  many  friends,  and  the  ser- 
vices of  the  community,  to  all  appearances,  were 
needed  at  the  time;  humanly  speaking,  it  seemed  a 
mistake  to  give  up  the  mission;  and,  if  it  is  true 
that  "obedience  is  better  than  sacrifice,"  it  is  also 
true  that  sometimes  obedience  is  sacrifice. 

In  1856,  the  Right  Reverend  John  Nepomucen 
Neumann,  of  saintly  memory,  requested  the  Sisters 
of  the  Holy  Cross  to  establish  an  industrial  school 
in  Philadelphia,  and  four  sisters  under  the  direction 
of  Sister  M.  Angela  were  sent  on  to  make  the  foun- 
dation.   Before  many  months  the  parochial  schools 


SoM^  Succe:sse:s  and  Failurks  61 

at  St.  Paul's  and  St.  Augustine's  were  in  charge  of 
the  sisters,  who  had  the  consolation  of  seeing  their 
labors  fruitful  of  good  from  the  beginning.  The 
financial  stress  of  1857  was  felt  very  keenly  by  the 
community,  but,  notwithstanding,  success  crowned 
the  efforts  of  the  sisters,  who,  in  1861,  opened  in 
West  Philadelphia  a  select  school  for  day  pupils 
and  boarders.  Everything  pointed  to  the  accom- 
plishment of  good  in  the  field  of  Christian  educa- 
tion, but  the  disturbed  relations  between  France  and 
Notre  Dame,  referred  to  in  the  account  of  the  New 
York  foundation,  brought  about  conditions  in  Phil- 
adelphia that  called  for  summary  action  on  the  part 
of  those  concerned.  Father  Sorin's  decision  was, 
that,  as  affairs  seemed  to  approach  a  climax  the 
effects  of  which  could  not  be  foreseen,  the  sisters 
had  better  return  to  the  Mother-House.  Here, 
again,  obedience  meant  sacrifice,  and  it  was  a  sad 
comfort  to  know  that  the  Right  Reverend  Bishop 
Wood,  who  had  succeeded  Bishop  Neumann,  told 
the  sisters,  as  he  gave  them  his  parting  blessing, 
that  he  more  than  regretted  their  leaving. 

Susquehanna,  which  claimed  the  sisters  less  than 
two  years,  Buffalo,  tentatively  held  as  a  mission  for 
one  year,  and  Bourbonnais  Grove,  Illinois,  where 


62  A  Story  o^  Fi^y  Ydars 

the  sisters  conducted  a  school  from  1858  to  1860, 
complete  this  chapter  which  we  have  headed  "Suc- 
cesses and  Failures."  Failures  those  mission  as- 
suredly were,  if  we  consider  their  want  of  perma- 
nency, and,  in  some  cases,  the  circumstances  which 
brought  about  their  dissolution;  but,  if  we  take 
into  consideration  the  fact  that  in  the  process  of 
those  years  of  trial,  the  general  body  of  the  com- 
munity was  growing,  and  that  its  spirit  was  being 
confirmed  by  the  hand  of  God  with  the  strengthen- 
ing chrism  of  sorrow ;  if  we  remember  that  through 
those  foundations  individual  souls  were  benefited, 
and  that  some  of  the  most  useful  and  edifying  sub- 
jects of  the  Congregation  during  those  years  cast 
their  fortunes  with  the  humble  followers  of  the 
Cross,  then  must  we  hesitate  before  pronouncing 
a  failure  that  which  in  the  alphabet  of  Providence 
may  have  spelled  success. 


FIRST  BUILDINGS  AT  ST.  MARY'S  (1855). 


62  .  o^  Fii  as 

tb?  nducted  a  school  from  1858  to 

iiis  chapter  which  we  have  headed  "Suc- 

and  Failures."  Failures  those  mission  as- 
>uicat.y  were,  if  we  consider  their  want  of  perma- 
nency, and,  in  some  cases,  the  circumstances  which 
brought  about  their  dissohi^^ton :  but,  if  we  tnVf 
into  consideration  the  fart 

years  of  trial,  the 
was  growing,  and  t! 
confirmed  by  the  hand  of  God  with  the  strengthen- 
ing chrism  of  sorrow ;  if  we  remember  that  through 
those  fouIid^bfl«^fAdiviml5^s^H2^^^^^^8^Mted, 
and  that  some  of  the  most  useful  and  edifying  sub- 
jects  of  the   ConprAornfirri    nirrit^nr    i^^-.;  ..     ^    •  .  • 

their  fortune^  v 

Cross,  tis< 

a  failure  that  wl  ,  Provit 

may  have  spelled  success. 


The  Founding-  of  St.  Mary's. 


^  ^  ^ 


August  15th,  the  feast  of  the  Assumption  of  Our 
Lady,  is  to  many  of  the  Sisters  of  the  Holy  Cross 
one  of  those  "hoHest  of  hoHdays,"  an  anniversary 
not  of  the  heart  alone,  but  of  the  soul,  for  it  is  the 
day  on  which  they  received  the  religious  habit  and 
pronounced  their  final  vows.  More  than  this,  it 
is  the  anniversary  of  the  establishment  of  the 
Congregation  in  its  new  home  on  the  banks  of  the 
winding  river. 

The  archives  relate  that  on  the  Feast  of  the 
Assumption,  1855,  the  sisters  from  Bertrand  went 
to  Notre  Dame  to  celebrate  the  festival  with  the 
religious  solemnity  already  a  feature  of  the  holy 
days  in  that  centre  of  faith  and  piety.  All  assisted 
at  the  Holy  Sacrifice  and  remained  for  Vespers  in 
the  afternoon.  The  procession  in  honor  of  Our 
Blessed  Mother  was  an  institution  even  in  those 
days,  and  it  is  not  hard  to  imagine  the  wistful  looks 
that  must  have  been  turned  towards  the  west  as 

63 


64  A  Story  of  Fifty  Ye:ars 

the  procession  wound  around  the  lakes  and  the  sis- 
ters sang  the  invocations  to  Our  Lady;  and,  as, 
later,  heads  and  hearts  bowed  in  the  chapel  for  the 
blessing  of  Mary's  Son,  how  fervently  must  not 
His  benediction  have  been  implored  on  the  new 
foundation ! 

When  the  religious  ceremonies  of  the  day  were 
over.  Father  Sorin  brought  Sister  M.  Angela  and 
Sister  M.  Euphemia  to  St.  Mary's ;  and  if  there  was 
little  formality  in  the  manner  of  installation,  it  is 
hardly  to  be  wondered  at,  for  the  building,  as  the 
two  sisters  found  it  on  that  first  day,  fifty  years 
ago,  suggested  nothing  of  ceremony.  The  frame 
structure  from  Mishawaka  had  been  put  together 
on  its  new  site,  and  only  one  room  in  it  was  plas- 
tered and  ready  for  occupancy.  Outwardly  cheery 
and  full  of  courage,  the  two  sisters  went  through 
the  inhospitable-looking  building,  and  if  there  was 
any  sinking  of  the  heart  at  thought  of  all  that  was 
to  be  done,  it  showed  not  in  look  or  word.  Having 
arranged  that  Sister  Angela  and  Sister  Euphemia 
sleep  at  St.  Joseph's  Industrial  School,  referred  to 
in  a  previous  chapter.  Father  General  left  the  pio- 
neers, and,  with  his  blessing  on  them,  the  two  sis- 
ters faced  the  new  situation  alone. 


The  Founding  of  St.  Mary's  65 

Sister  Angela — or  Mother  Angela,  as  we  may 
hereafter  call  her,  for  from  this  time  on  we  find  her 
always  in  some  official  relation  with  the  community, 
— began  at  once  to  plan  the  work  of  preparation 
for  the  coming  of  the  sisters,  and  for  the  opening 
of  the  school  in  September.  The  next  morning 
she  declared  that  the  measures  arranged  for  in 
their  legislative  meeting  of  the  night  before  called 
for  an  immediate  executive  session;  whereupon, 
she  herself  set  about  washing  windows,  while  Sis- 
ter Euphemia,  with  equal  zest,  applied  herself  to 
cleaning  the  floor ! 

The  second  night  also  was  spent  at  St.  Joseph's ; 
but  some  furniture  having  been  brought  from  Ber- 
trand,  the  third  day  found  the  two  sisters  fully  in- 
stalled. All  day  long  they  were  too  much  occupied 
with  the  work  of  cleaning  and  arranging  the  house, 
taking  room  after  room,  as  the  plasterers  and  car- 
penters completed  each,  even  to  look  at  the  beau- 
ties of  nature  around  them;  but  in  the  long,  quiet 
evenings  of  those  first  days  the  charm  of  the  place, 
the  patient  grandeur  of  the  great  trees,  the  endless 
song  of  the  river, — all  must  have  impressed  their 
hearts ;  and  if  in  the  distance  they  heard  the  bell  at 
Notre  Dame,  they  must  also  have  heard  close  to 

5— 


66  A  Story  of  Fifty  Y^ars 

them  the  soft  music  of  the  Angelus  that  would  one 
day  ring  out  across  this  forest  soHtude. 

Order  and  comparative  comfort  grew  out  of  this 
seeming  chaos;  by  degrees  the  sisters  were  trans- 
ferred from  Bertrand  to  St.  Mary's  and  in  six 
months  all,  except  those  employed  at  Notre  Dame, 
were  domiciled  at  the  new  Mother-House,  which 
included  the  convent,  which  served  as  novitiate  and 
house  of  Professed,  the  Academy,  the  Industrial 
School,  and  the  School  for  Deaf-Mutes.  The  rec- 
ords give  the  number  of  sisters  who,  in  August, 
1855,  moved  directly  from  St.  Mary's,  Bertrand,  to 
the  new  St.  Mary's,  as  twenty-five,  all  but  ten  of 
whom  are  on  the  honor-roll  of  the  dead.  The  fol- 
lowing are  the  surviving  pioneers  who  will  have  a 
special,  a  personal  interest  in  the  celebration  of  St. 
Mary's  Golden  Jubilee,  a  Jubilee  made  possible  by 
their  self-sacrifice,  their  devotedness,  their  untiring 
labors:  Mother  M.  Augusta,  Sister  M.  Compas- 
sion, Sister  M.  Euphrasia,  Sister  M.  Euphemia, 
Sister  M.  Augustine,  Sister  M.  Appoline,  Sister  M. 
Anatholie,  Sister  M.  Bertha,  Sister  M.  Clothilde 
and  Sister  M.  Bernard. 

Though  there  was  not  a  little  prejudice  among 
non-Catholics  of  the  neighboring  towns,  some  of 


Th^  F'ounding  o^  St.  Mary's  67 

the  leading  citizens  of  South  Bend  showed  an  in- 
terest in  the  new  foundation ;  Judge  Stanfield  aid- 
ing materially  in  putting  St.  Mary's  on  a  legal  basis 
as  a  regular  corporation,  giving  his  counsel  and 
services  most  generously,  and  before  the  opening 
of  the  Academic  years  1855-1856,  the  institution 
had  a  legal  existence  and  was  recognized  by  the 
State. 

Until  1860  the  buildings  were  the  frame  struc- 
tures which  had  been  moved  from  Mishawaka  and 
Bertrand,  and  the  ways  and  means  adopted  in  order 
to  meet  the  demand  for  room  in  those  days,  fully 
verified  the  saying  about  necessity  and  invention. 
Among  the  various  Bertrand  contributions  to  the 
new  foundation  was  the  little  blacksmith  shop,  or 
cottage,  mentioned  before  as  having  been  pur- 
chased for  five  dollars.  This  frame  building  served 
as  a  sort  of  guest  house,  and  was  for  a  time  occu- 
pied by  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Phelan,  Mrs.  Redman  (Sis- 
ter Elizabeth's  mother),  and  her  grandchild,  Edith 
Lilly,  who  became  Sister  M.  Cecilia.  In  1858,  a 
frame  building  was  erected  south  of  the  "old  brown 
house,"  as  the  first  Academy  was  called  in  later 
years,  and  was  used  as  a  general  assembly  hall 
until  1859,  when  it  became  St.  Michael's  Chapel. 


68  A  Story  of  F'ifty  Ykars  i 

In  time  it  retroverted  to  the  original  purpose,  but 
having  been  partially  destroyed  by  fire  in  1879,  it 
was  torn  down.  The  next  structure  erected  was 
the  Chapel  of  Loreto,  the  Santa  Casa  of  St.  Mary's, 
and  while  there  is  little  in  the  way  of  official  record 
regarding  this  blessed  shrine,  there  are  many  who 
cannot  forget  Loreto  in  the  setting  of  their  soul- 
history.  The  plan  of  the  chapel,  with  exact  meas- 
urements of  the  Holy  House  at  Loreto,  was  brought 
from  Italy  by  the  Reverend  Neal  H.  Gillespie,  C. 
S.  C,  and  the  building  begun  in  1859  was  blessed 
by  the  Right  Reverend  Bishop  Luers,  of  the  diocese 
of  Fort  Wayne,  in  September  of  the  same  year. 
Though  a  shrine  of  devotion  open  to  all,  for  years 
it  was  associated  closely  with  the  Sodality  of  the 
Children  of  Mary,  and  it  has  always  been  a  favorite 
spot  with  the  students,  as  many  votive  offerings 
testify.  There  in  the  quiet  chapel  the  cares  of  the 
busy  school-day  seem  to  slip  off  as  the  chaplet  of 
Our  Lady  slips  through  the  fingers,  while  to  the  sis- 
ters, Loreto  is  a  place  where  the  present  meets  the 
past  before  the  Altar  throne,  and  where,  almost  un- 
consciously, the  heart  frames  the  prayer,  "Eternal 
rest  give  unto  them,  O  Lord !"  Adjoining  Loreto, 
a  small  presbytery  was  built  the  same  year.  Father 


Thk  Founding  of  St.  Mary's  69 

Serin's  room  leading  into  the  chapel ;  and  additions 
later  on  gave  accommodations  for  the  chaplains  and 
for  visiting  clergy. 

In  1862,  the  first  brick  structure,  long  known  as 
the  main  building,  was  put  up  and  fitted  with  every 
convenience  of  that  time,  and  the  increasing  num- 
ber of  pupils  justified  the  most  sanguine  hopes  of 
those  charged  with  the  administration.  The  music- 
hall  was  decided  upon  in  1865,  this  building  mark- 
ing the  tenth  year  of  the  establishment  of  the  new 
St.  Mary's.  And  what  changes  had  been  wrought 
in  those  ten  years,  changes  which  held  within  them- 
selves the  promise  of  future  developments!  The 
grounds  had  been  artistically  laid  out,  largely  by 
Mr.  Phelan  and  Mother  Angela,  the  Rosary  Circle 
forming  the  centre  of  a  beautiful  design  in  land- 
scape gardening ;  cedar  and  osage  hedges  had  been 
set  out,  and  the  avenue  symmetrically  outlined  in 
maples  and  sycamores;  the  lilac  bushes,  forming 
fragrant  lanes  of  purple  bloom,  had  been  planted 
and  the  orchards  well  started.  Nature's  charms 
had  been,  if  not  doubled,  at  least  enhanced  by  an  art 
that  recognized  the  charms  of  nature  unadorned. 

All  this  is  of  material  growth,  but  it  implies 
the  progress  of  the  Congregation  in  number  and 


70  A  Story  o^  Fi^ty  Ye:ars 

in  standing.  In  this  decade  the  community  more 
than  doubled  in  membership,  and  though  some  of  its 
efforts  in  the  way  of  extending  its  usefulness  had 
proved  unsuccessful,  as  elsewhere  recorded,  other 
successful  foundations  had  been  made,  permanent 
establishments  of  which  an  account  will  be  given 
later.  The  work  of  the  sisters  during  the  Civil 
War  also  calls  for  special  mention,  but,  chronolog- 
ically, it  is  to  this  period  of  the  community's  devel- 
opment that  the  narrative  belongs;  and  the  with- 
drawal from  St.  Mary's  and  the  missions  of  the 
large  number  called  for  in  the  war-hospitals,  added 
not  a  little  to  the  already  heavy  burdens  of  the  sis- 
ters left  at  the  home-posts.  But  if  this  time  was 
one  of  care  and  of  unremitting  labor  on  the  part  of 
all,  it  was  not  without  its  compensations,  for  the 
number  of  students  at  St.  Mary's  was  larger  than 
ever  before  and  there  was  a  distinct  academic  spirit. 
The  records  of  those  momentous  years  include 
the  names  of  many  earnest  workers  in  the  building 
up  of  the  community  and  the  school,  and  where  all 
gave  of  themselves  so  generously,  seemingly  desir- 
ing only  to  spend  and  be  spent  for  Him  whose  cause 
the  work  primarily  was,  it  is  impossible  to  give  an 
adequate  list  unless  all  are  mentioned. 


Thi^  F'ounding  of  St.  Mary's  71 

A  notable  event  in  this  first  decade  of  years  was 
the  official  visit,  in  1857,  of  the  Very  Reverend 
Basil  Moreau,  Superior  General  of  the  Congrega- 
tion of  the  Holy  Cross,  a  visit  attended  with  im- 
portant results,  and  one  which  marked  a  new  period 
in  the  life  of  the  community.  The  official  bearing 
on  the  Congregation  of  the  Superior  General's 
coming  belongs  to  a  later  chapter;  here  we  shall 
simply  quote  from  a  letter  of  Father  Moreau's  his 
description  of  the  reception  he  met  at  St.  Mary's, 
with  a  view  to  showing  how  much  had  been  done  in 
the  way  of  progress  along  artistic  lines,  and  how 
from  the  first  Mother  Angela's  influence  was  felt  in 
all  things,  even  the  smallest.  The  extract  is  from  a 
letter  written  by  Father  Moreau  on  board  the  ves- 
sel which  bore  him  back  to  France,  and  was  ad- 
dressed to  all  his  spiritual  children : 

The  benedictions  of  heaven  are  too  abundant  not  to  ac- 
knowledge the  protection  of  the  august  Patroness  of  the 
Society  of  the  Sisters,  and  to  honor  whom,  the  good  Supe- 
rior of  the  Academy  at  St.  Mary's  (Mother  M.  Angela) 
prepared  a  beautiful  ceremony,  the  remembrance  of  which 
will  never  leave  me.  It  was  on  the  evening  of  September 
8th  that  I  was  witness  of  a  majestic  procession  composed 
of  all  the  religious  and  the  students,  each  bearing  a  wax 
candle  like  a  starry  light;  numerous  arches  ornamented 
with  taste  and  glittering  with  lights  spanned  our  way;  and 


72  A  Story  o^  Fifty  Years 

at  the  end  of  a  long  avenue,  on  a  little  mound  overhung 
by  a  tall  tree,  an  altar  had  been  erected  and  decorated  to 
receive  the  statue  of  the  Blessed  Virgin,  which  was  carried 
in  state  by  the  white-veiled  young  girls.  While  the  proces- 
sion moved  through  the  dusk,  hymns  were  chanted.  From 
this  station  we  went  along  a  path  lighted  by  tapers  to  a 
beautiful  island,  which  was  blessed  and  consecrated  to  the 
Immaculate  Virgin. 

Thus  we  see  in  the  days  of  small  but  enthusiastic 
beginnings  the  ever-abiding  desire  of  Father  Sorin, 
Mother  Angela  and  the  sisters  to  draw  young 
hearts  through  the  medium  of  the  beautiful  to  the 
God  of  beauty.  What  processions  and  sacred  pag- 
eants became  in  later  years  at  St.  Mary's,  we  see 
in  these  lines  from  the  pen  of  Eliza  Allen  Starr : 

And  the  processions  at  St.  Mary's— those  marking  the 
Rogation  Days,  Corpus  Christi,  the  Feast  of  Our  Lady  of  the 
Sacred  Heart — so  unique  in  their  beauty,  so  unrivalled  in 
their  picturesque  surroundings!  Whatever  might  be  their 
grandeur  at  Notre  Dame,  there  was  a  tranquillity  peculiar 
to  St.  Mary's,  as  the  procession  on  Rogation  Days  passed 
under  the  blossoming  boughs  of  the  orchard  on  its  way  to 
the  shrine  of  Our  Lady  of  Peace  in  the  freshness  of  the 
spring  mornings ;  or,  for  Corpus  Christi,  or  Our  Lady  of  the 
Sacred  Heart,  just  at  the  close  of  the  day  when  the  candles 
in  the  hands  of  the  sisters  and  pupils  made  a  line  of  blessed 
light  along  the  winding  bank  of  the  St.  Joseph  River,  paus- 
ing at  Our  Lady  of  Mt.  Carmel;  her  arbor  overhanging 
the  edge  of  the  wooded  bank,  and  the  "coo"  of  the  mourning 
doves  nested  among  the  firs  coming  in  like  touches  of  pathos 


The;  Founding  of  St.  Mary's  73 

to  the  songs  of  praise;  then,  to  turn  into  the  garden  walks 
to  Trinity  Arbor,  overrun  with  the  blossoming  trumpet- 
vines,  their  flowers  darting  out  like  tongues  of  flame !  No 
pupil  at  St.  Mary's  can  ever  forget  those  processions ;  and 
no  sister  will  forget  how  faithfully  the  beautiful  ceremonial 
was  always  observed  and  forwarded  by  the  beloved  founder 
of  Notre  Dame  and  St.  Mary's.  In  this  way  an  aesthetic 
education,  in  its  most  exalted  sense,  has  been  given  to  every 
one  so  happy  as  to  linger  among  these  delightful  groves  and 
shaded  ways. 

Indeed,  in  all  lines  of  the  training  given  at  St. 
Mary's  in  the  early  days,  is  seen  a  forecast  of  the 
years  to  come.  Mother  Angela  was,  in  a  sense, 
ahead  of  her  time  in  matters  pertaining  to  the  edu- 
cation of  young  women,  and  long  before  the  days 
of  "higher  education,"  she  had  outlined  a  plan  of 
studies  for  St.  Mary's  teaching  body  that  had  as 
an  end  the  highest  and  best  in  mental  and  moral 
training.  To  the  first  ten  years  must  we  trace  also 
the  beginnings  of  the  reputation  for  excellence  in 
the  art  of  music  which  St.  Mary's  enjoys.  In  the 
Bertrand  days.  Sister  Elizabeth  (Mrs.  Lilly)  and 
her  mother,  Mrs.  Harriet  Redman,  identified  them- 
selves with  the  community,  and  both  consecrated 
their  marvellous  gift  for  music  to  the  service  of  God, 
though  Mrs.  Redman  did  not  become  a  religious. 
Sister  Elizabeth's  enthusiasm,  combined  with  her 


74  A  Story  of  Fifty  Yfars 

power  of  imparting  knowledge  of  the  musical  art, 
soon  drew  pupils,  and  the  encomiums  she  won  for 
St.  Mary's  were  remarkable  for  those  times. 

The  records  of  the  early  years  are  most  inter- 
esting to  those  who  see  in  the  past  the  promise  of 
to-day,  and  viewed  in  such  a  light  there  is  a  signifi- 
cance in  reports  of  Commencement  Exercises,  when 
in  drama-form,  arranged  especially  for  the  occa- 
sions, "Fabiola"  and  "Marie  Antionette"  and 
"Blanche  of  Castile"  won  laurels  for  the  fair  por- 
trayers  of  those  historic  characters.  In  connection 
with  Commencement  memories,  we  shall  be  par- 
doned for  recalling  one  of  Most  Reverend  Arch- 
bishop Riordan's  reminiscences — namely,  that  on  a 
certain  occasion,  when  St.  Mary's  premiums  had 
not  arrived  in  time  for  the  distribution.  Mother  An- 
gela borrowed  the  books  received  a  few  hours  be- 
fore by  some  of  the  Notre  Dame  students,  the  Arch- 
bishop among  them,  and  after  they  had  stood  proxy 
for  the  belated  books,  and  had  been  presented  in 
public  to  the  fair  recipients,  they  were  collected  and 
returned  to  their  rightful  owners. 

Though  in  the  years  preceding,  the  Academy 
had  sent  forth  worthy  students  who  had  completed 
the  studies  of  the  course  as  then  outlined,  it  was  in 


The:  Founding  of  St.  Mary's  75 

1860  that  the  first  graduating  medals — Latin 
crosses  in  silver — were  conferred.  Of  this  class, 
Mrs.  Virginia  Spittler  Hammond,  Lafayette,  and 
Miss  Ellen  Eddy,  South  Bend,  Ind.,  were  honored 
guests  at  a  late  alumnae  gathering. 

The  later  years  of  this  decade  brought  many  stu- 
dents from  the  South,  and  the  spirit  of  patriotism, 
then  in  the  very  atmosphere  of  the  country,  stirred 
the  quiet  of  even  the  convent  halls,  when  the  North 
and  South  met  in  the  quick  give  and  take  of  charge 
and  retort.  The  story  of  one  encounter,  which,  at 
the  time,  was  widely  circulated  by  the  press,  had  as 
the  leader  of  the  Union  party.  Miss  Minnie  Sher- 
man, daughter  of  General  Sherman.  The  enthusi- 
astic Federals  among  the  Seniors  draped  the  Stars 
and  Stripes  over  a  doorway  through  which  the 
student  body  had  to  pass ;  but  a  loyal  daughter  of  the 
South  saw  the  emblem,  and  with  flashing  eye 
stepped  from  the  ranks  and  pulled  the  flag  from  its 
place.  According  to  the  newspaper  reports  of  the 
affair,  we  should  here  give  as  a  denouement  the  list 
of  wounded  combatants;  but  truth  obliges  us  to 
spoil  the  dramatic  story  by  recording  that,  though 
there  was  a  sharp  sortie  of  some  kind,  the  war  which 
threatened,  was,  thanks  to  the  presence  of  Mother 


76  A  Story  of  Fifty  Yfars 

Angela  and  the  sisters,  confined  to  deadly  glances 
and  unspoken  threats  of  vengeance. 

Mother  Angela's  indefatigable  zeal  made  it  pos- 
sible for  her  to  seem  to  be  in  many  places  at  once; 
for  in  the  ten  years  constituting  this  first  period 
of  the  life  of  the  community  we  find  record  of  her 
labors  at  St.  Mary's,  at  Notre  Dame,  in  Chicago, 
in  Philadelphia,  in  Washington,  and  in  the  army 
hospitals  at  Memphis,  Cairo  and  Mound  City,  while 
the  variety  of  interests  which  engaged  her  powers 
challenges  wonder  and  admiration.  Whether  com- 
piling text-books,  superintending  the  organization 
of  a  hospital  corps,  translating  the  Directory  and 
Rules  for  the  Congregation,  conducting  an  exami- 
nation of  the  classes,  or  presiding  at  the  sisters' 
recreations,  Mother  Angela  was  always  a  centre  of 
helpful  activity,  radiating  an  influence  that  impelled 
to  highest  effort;  and  it  is  not  to  be  wondered  at 
that  in  those  early  troublous  times  the  community 
considered  her  vocation  to  Holy  Cross  a  direct 
answer  to  prayer. 


Relations  with  France  and 
Notre  Dame. 


4t  4t  4t 


Obe^diEnce;  is  the  first  virtue  of  the  true  relig- 
ious ;  it  is  also  the  keynote  to  her  relations  with  law- 
fully constituted  authority.  The  members  of  a  re- 
ligious body  are  bound  together  by  ties  similar  to 
those  which  insure  the  oneness  of  the  family  group, 
and  as  the  children  are  to  the  parents,  so  are  the 
subjects  to  their  superiors.  Hence  there  was  a 
double  significance  in  the  title  "Father"  as  applied 
by  the  first  Sisters  of  the  Holy  Cross  to  the  Rever- 
end Anthony  Basil  Moreau,  their  spiritual  guide, 
their  devoted  friend,  the  founder  of  their  little  corps. 
To  him  they  rendered  implicit  obedience,  and  it  was 
at  his  bidding  and  with  his  blessing  that  the  mis- 
sionary band  of  four  intrepid  souls  set  forth  to  new 
lands,  to  face  new  conditions,  under  the  guardian- 
ship of  his  representative — the  Reverend  Edward 
Sorin.  In  those  early  days,  the  name  of  Father 
Moreau  was  enshrined  in  the  memory  of  each  of 

77 


78  A  Story  o^  Fifty  Ye^ars 

the  devoted  exiles;  and,  as  recruits  from  France 
joined  the  colony,  memories  were  renewed,  while 
those  from  this  country  who  entered  the  ranks  soon 
learned  the  story  of  Le  Mans;  and  when,  in  1857, 
he  visited  his  American  family,  he  was  received 
with  genuine  welcome. 

From  the  foundation  days  in  the  United  States 
until  this  visit  of  the  Very  Reverend  Superior  Gen- 
eral, the  sisters  had  little  or  no  direct  communica- 
tion with  the  Mother-House,  as  Father  Sorin,  now 
fully  empowered  to  act  for  Father  Moreau,  had 
taken  charge  of  the  community.  In  1852  he  had 
been  made  Provincial,  and,  in  1854,  because  of  the 
exigencies  of  the  times,  he  had  asked  and  obtained 
dispensation  from  obedience  to  Ste.  Croix,  the  foun- 
dation house  in  France,  for  a  term  of  years.  Father 
Sorin's  position  was  hardly  an  enviable  one.  A  re- 
ligious under  the  vow  of  obedience,  he  felt  the 
weight  of  his  own  personal  obligation,  as  well  as 
his  responsibility  for  others,  soul  and  body,  who 
were  bound  to  obey  him.  In  addition,  he  was 
charged  by  the  Bishop  of  the  diocese  of  Vincennes 
with  the  spiritual  interests  of  a  widely  scattered 
population;  and  was  at  the  same  time  the  head  of 
an  educational  m.ovement,  the  direction  of  which 


Ri:i.ATioNS  WITH  France;  and  Notr^  Dame  79 

called  for  more  than  ordinary  ability,  energy  and 
foresight.  The  spiritual  relationship  with  the 
Mother-House  was  fully  recognized  and  highly 
prized  by  Father  Sorin,  and  there  was  little  room 
for  personal  ambition  in  the  whole-hearted  dedica- 
tion of  his  life  to  his  chosen  as  well  as  appointed 
task. 

There  is  not  infrequently  in  human  affairs  a  col- 
lision of  interests,  each  of  which  has  a  moral  right, 
according  to  the  individual  standpoint,  and  when 
this  is  the  case  there  is  more  or  less  of  the  tragic  in 
the  results.  Father  Moreau  wished  to  be  superior 
in  temporals,  as  in  matters  spiritual,  over  the  Con- 
gregation of  the  Holy  Cross  in  the  New  World; 
he  claimed  the  final  word  as  to  the  profession  of 
subjects — priests,  brothers  and  sisters;  his  sanction 
was  required  for  the  acquisition  or  the  alienation  of 
property;  and  he  delegated  to  no  one  the  privilege 
of  appointments  in  the  community.  In  none  of 
these  claims  did  he  demand  more  than  he  felt  was 
his  right  by  virtue  of  his  office.  The  community  in 
this  country,  represented  by  Father  Sorin,  was  will- 
ing to  render  all  respect  to  the  Mother-House,  but 
it  was  not  to  be  expected  that  France  would  fully 
understand  conditions  in  the  new  province.     The 


80  A  Story  op  Fifty  Years 

distance  made  it  impracticable  to  submit  many  of 
the  business  questions  that  naturally  arose, — ques- 
tions peculiar  to  the  conditions  of  the  times  and  de- 
manding immediate  settlement.  The  councils  of 
administration  at  Notre  Dame  and  St.  Mary's,  Ber- 
trand,  were  better  qualified  than  were  strangers  to 
decide  upon  the  admission  of  subjects;  and,  finally, 
in  the  appointments  to  the  various  offices  and  mis- 
sions, intimate  knowledge  of  circumstances,  as  well 
as  a  delicate  tact,  was  necessary,  the  first  of  which 
essentials  was  impossible  to  anyone  not  on  the 
grounds.  Viewed  dispassionately,  and  as  a  thing  of 
the  past,  it  would  seem  that  Father  Sorin  took  the 
broader  view,  and  that  his  apprehension  of  the 
larger  relationships,  which  included  all  that  Father 
Moreau  had  as  ultimate  end,  together  with  the 
means  that  led  thereto,  showed  a  love  for  the  gen- 
eral good  rather  than  any  desire  of  personal  gain 
or  aggrandizement. 

While  this  statement  of  affairs  would  seem  to 
refer  to  the  relations  between  Notre  Dame  and 
France  only,  the  sisters  also  were  concerned,  inas- 
much as  Father  Sorin  was  the  general  adminis- 
trator and  counsellor  for  them  during  the  first  thir- 
teen years  of  the  community's  existence ;  and  if  the 


Relations  with  France  and  Notre  Dame  81 

efforts  of  the  sisters  had  finally  met  with  anything 
like  success,  there  was  not  one  among  them  who  did 
not  feel  that  it  was  largely  due  to  Father  Sorin. 
There  was  no  thought  in  those  early  years  of  "mine 
and  thine"  in  the  matter  of  property  and  finances. 
But  "the  new  growth  in  the  plant  swelling  against 
the  sheath,  which  at  the  same  time  imprisons  and 
protects  it,  must  still  be  the  truest  type  of  progress" ; 
so,  in  the  course  of  events,  the  question  of  a  distinct 
business  organization  naturally  arose.  The  formal 
approbation  of  the  priests  and  brothers  hastened 
the  solution  of  the  question,  for  Rome  had  required 
the  immediate  severance  of  the  sisters'  branch  from 
the  association  at  the  Mother-House,  and  had  urged 
the  same  separation,  as  soon  as  practicable,  in  this 
country.  The  decree  was  promulgated  in  1857, 
when  the  Very  Reverend  Superior  General  visited 
the  institutions  in  Canada,  Louisiana  and  at  Notre 
Dame.  Measures  were  at  once  taken  to  bring  about 
a  settlement,  but  it  was  no  easy  undertaking,  and  it 
was  not  until  1862  that  the  division  was  finally 
made,  the  Sisters  of  the  Holy  Cross  receiving  one- 
third  of  the  resources  of  the  Congregation  and 
assuming  one-third  of  the  Order's  liabilities.  It 
was,  of  course,  understood  that  the  sisters  should 


82  A  Story  o^  Fifty  Ye^ars 

continue  their  services  at  Notre  Dame,  the  convent 
division  of  which  was  looked  upon  as  a  mission  be- 
longing to  St.  Mary's,  the  Mother-House  in  the 
United  States. 

In  the  meantime,  friendly  relations  were  main- 
tained with  France.  The  Mother-General  of  the 
sisters  visited  this  country,  and  Mother  M.  Angela 
and  Mother  M.  of  the  Ascension  were  delegates  to 
a  General  Chapter  held  in  1860  at  Le  Mans.  The 
year  following,  Father  Sorin  was  appointed  to  gov- 
ern the  sisterhood  without  foreign  intervention; 
but  the  Reverend  Visitor  sent  in  1862  by  Father 
Moreau  did  not  respect  this  arrangement,  and 
Father  Sorin  withdrew  from  the  superiorship  of 
the  community  of  sisters.  The  matter  became  seri- 
ous ;  the  Right  Reverend  Bishop  of  Fort  Wayne  in- 
terested himself  so  far  as  to  send,  in  the  name  of  the 
sisters,  a  petition  to  Rome  asking  the  approval  of 
the  community  as  a  distinct  organization,  and  the 
appointment  of  an  American  Bishop  as  Apostolic 
Visitor.  Archbishop  Purcell  also  used  his  influence 
in  the  furtherance  of  this  measure ;  and  at  the  same 
time  the  proposed  Constitutions  of  the  sisterhood 
were  submitted  for  official  approbation.  The  au- 
thorities in  Rome  charged  with  the  affairs  of  relig- 


82  A  iSroRY  or  I-ifty  Years 

^»  'mue  their  services  at  Notre  Dame,  the  convent 
ion  of  which  was  looked  upon  as  a  mission  be- 
longing to  St.  Mary's,  the  Mother-House  in  the 
United  States. 

In  the  meantime,  friendly  rel 
tained  with  France.     The  V 

•'d  this 
ana  Aioli:cr  M.  of  u...  .'-.. 
a  General  Chapter  held  in  i  ^    .      ..^....o. 

year  following,  Father  Sorin  was  appointed  to  gov- 
ern the  sisterhood  without  foreign  intervention; 
but  the  Re-        .OTa5V€aHOs^3ftKfeOl862  by  Father 
Moreau   did  not   respect   this   arraneenic 
Father  Sorin  wit' 
the  con 

ous ;  the  Rtghi  Reverend  iiishop  oi  1^  on  iii  - 

terested  himself  so  far  as  to  send,  in  the  name  oi  the 
sisters,  a  petition  to  Rome  asking  the  approval  of 
the  community  as  a  distinct  organization,  and  the 
appointment  of  an  American  Bishop  as  Apostolic 
Visitor,  Archbishop  Purcell  also  used  his  influence 
in  the  furtherance  of  this  measure ;  and  at  the  same 
time  the  proposed  Constituti<»ns  of  the  sisterhood 
were  submitted  for  official  approbation.  The  au- 
thorities in  Rome  charged  with  the  affairs  of  relig- 


Ri:i.ATiONS  WITH  France:  and  Notr^  Dame;  83 

ious  communities,  though  interested  in  the  well- 
being  of  the  Congregation,  were  slow  in  acting  be- 
cause of  conflicting  statements  that  had  been  sub- 
mitted. The  resignation  of  the  Very  Reverend 
Abbe  Moreau,  in  1866,  however,  and  the  subse- 
quent election  of  Father  Sorin  as  Superior  Gen- 
eral, with  the  privilege  of  residing  at  Notre  Dame, 
were  followed,  in  1869,  by  the  rcognition  at  Rome 
of  the  Sisters  of  the  Holy  Cross  in  the  United  States 
as  a  distinct  Order,  with  St.  Mary's  as  the  Mother- 
House,  and  the  Very  Reverend  Edward  Sorin 
as  Ecclesiastical  Superior.  This  joyful  news 
was  communicated  through  the  Apostolic  Visitor, 
the  Most  Reverend  Archbishop  Purcell,  and  his 
congratulations  and  those  of  the  Reverend  Bishop 
Luers  signalized  a  new  era  in  the  history  of  the 
community. 

Father  General,  as  the  Reverend  Edward  Sorin 
was  now  called,  was  charged  to  draw  up  Rules  in 
accordance  with  the  Constitutions,  and  these  with 
the  Directory  were  issued  the  next  year.  An  elec- 
tion of  officers  was  held  in  August,  1869,  and  the 
first  council  of  administration  under  the  new 
regime  was  composed  of  Mother  M.  Angela,  as 
Mother  Superior;  Mother  Charles,  First  Assist- 


84  A  Story  of  Fifty  Yfars 

ant ;  Mother  M.  Eusebia,  Second  Assistant ;  Mother 
M.  of  the  Ascension,  Mistress  of  Novices,  and 
Mother  M.  Emily,  Stewardess, — all  able  women,  all 
thoroughly  imbued  with  a  deeply  religious  spirit 
and  all  in  perfect  sympathy  with  Father  General. 
Ever3rthing  looked  promising;  and  yet,  conscien- 
tious motives  and  tender,  grateful  affection  not- 
withstanding, the  beautiful  relations  between 
Father  General  and  St.  Mary's  were  shadowed  in 
the  years  that  followed,  not  so  much  by  misunder- 
standing as  by  a  want  of  understanding. 

If  the  process  of  readjustment  in  the  life  of  the 
individual  is  attended  with  difficulties,  incompara- 
bly more  difficult  is  the  work  of  reconstruction, 
when  to  a  passing  generation  is  committed  as  a 
charge  the  enlarging  of  the  scope  of  action,  the  up- 
lifting and  perfecting  of  the  ideal  already  formu- 
lated, already  sanctified  by  worthy  effort  of  an  es- 
tablished institution.  Many  demands  were  made  on 
St.  Mary's  for  the  work  of  the  missions.  The  sup- 
ply of  sisters  did  not  begin  to  meet  the  wants ;  Notre 
Dame  grew  rapidly,  and  the  increased  student  body 
necessitated  the  employment  of  seculars  for  the 
work  of  the  various  domestic  departments.  This, 
of  course,  could  not  but  be  unsatisfactory;  and,  in 


RELATIONS  WITH  FrANCE  AND  NoTRE  DamS    85 

1872,  Very  Reverend  Father  Sorin  conceived  the 
idea  of  opening  a  novitiate  at  Notre  Dame  for  the 
reception  and  training  of  subjects  for  the  special 
needs  of  the  place.  Mother  M.  Ascension  took 
charge  of  the  new  venture,  and  for  seventeen  years 
the  Congregation  of  the  Sisters  of  the  Holy  Cross 
presented  the  anomaly  of  having  two  novitiates,  the 
one  at  Notre  Dame  only  nominally  under  the  admin- 
istration at  St.  Mary's,  the  Mother-House.  There 
was  no  question  as  to  the  admirable  religious  train- 
ing at  Notre  Dame;  the  spiritual  advantages  were 
all  that  could  be  desired,  and  many  excellent  sub- 
jects were  received;  but  the  establishment  was 
looked  upon  with  disfavor  by  many  of  the  best 
friends  of  the  Order,  who  saw  in  it  a  detriment  to 
the  sisterhood  and  an  obstacle  in  the  way  of  Papal 
approval. 

Women,  especially  in  the  religious  world,  are 
inclined  to  be  conservative  and  to  keep  to  old  stand- 
ards, particularly  when  the  claims  of  new  standards 
are  in  seeming  conflict  with  claims  of  gratitude  and 
affection ;  so  every  concession  was  made  by  the  ad- 
ministration at  St.  Mary's  rather  than  cause  a  posi- 
tive breach  with  Notre  Dame.  Yet,  under  all,  there 
was  the  persistent  call  of  a  larger  obligation  which 


86  A  Story  of  Fifty  Y5:ars 

took  not  a  little  from  the  joy  that  comes  of  perfect 
understanding.  The  Apostolic  Approbation  of  the 
new  Constitutions  of  the  Congregation  of  the  Sis- 
ters of  the  Holy  Cross,  in  1889,  for  a  term  of  seven 
years,  provided  for  but  one  novitiate ;  so  the  novices 
at  Notre  Dame  were  transferred  to  the  novitiate 
at  the  Mother-House,  which  still  remains  the  only 
one  of  the  Congregation.  In  1892  the  status  of  the 
relations  between  the  two  institutions  at  St.  Mary's 
and  Notre  Dame  was  drawn  up  by  formal  contract ; 
and  though,  in  1893,  a  renewal  of  the  former  un- 
pleasantness threatened,  the  contract  is  still  in  force 
and  most  amicable  relations  continue  to  be  main- 
tained. 

All  through  it  is  to  be  noted  that  it  was  only  in 
official  matters  that  there  was  ever  any  difficulty. 
During  all  the  years  recorded  in  the  above  narra- 
tive. Father  General  continued  his  ministrations  at 
St.  Mary's,  as  he  had  done  at  Bertrand,  considering 
no  detail  too  small  for  his  personal  attention  and 
interest;  and  he  spent  at  least  a  third  of  his  time 
in  his  beloved  room  adjoining  the  Chapel  at  Loreto, 
that  shrine  so  dear  to  his  heart.  In  the  Perpetual 
Mass,  instituted  by  him  in  1879,  his  spiritual  daugh- 
ters had  a  share ;  and  from  the  first  up  to  as  late  as 


RELATIONS  WITH  France  and  Notre:  Dame:  87 

June,  1893,  when  His  Eminence  Cardinal  Satolli 
visited  St.  Mary's,  Very  Reverend  Father  General 
was  the  guest  of  affection  and  honor  at  every  nota- 
ble function  held  at  the  Convent  or  the  Academy. 

And  if  Father  Sorin  was  kindness,  considera- 
tion and  courtesy  itself  with  regard  to  St.  Mary's, 
the  same  may  be  said  of  all  the  priests  and  broth- 
ers of  Holy  Cross.  Even  in  troubled  times,  when 
Father  General  could  not  see  things  as  St.  Mary's 
viewed  them,  or  the  sisterhood  could  not  take  his 
view  of  them,  the  ties  formed  in  early  days  between 
the  two  branches  of  the  Association  were  not 
broken,  and  there  was  never  any  interruption  in  the 
exchange  of  the  little  offices  that  mean  much  in  the 
way  of  encouragement  and  sympathy.  The  priests 
of  the  Holy  Cross  have  ever  ministered  to  the  spir- 
itual needs  of  the  community, — sisters  and  stu- 
dents ;  they  have  ever  been  ready  to  make  it  possible 
for  St.  Mary's  to  have  the  pomp  of  church  ceremo- 
nial when  occasion  demanded;  they  have  lent  pres- 
tige to  celebrations  by  their  presence,  and  have 
always  given  their  service  willingly  in  the  way  of 
lecture  and  instruction  in  both  Convent  and  Acad- 
emy; in  fine,  the  Golden  Jubilee  which  has  called 
forth  these  pages  would  hardly  have  been  but  for 


88  A  Story  ojp  Fifty  Y^ars 

the  devoted  Order  of  Holy  Cross,  to  the  spirit  of 
which  is  joined  in  unity  of  interest  and  aims,  as  well 
as  oneness  of  means,  the  Congregation  of  the  Sis- 
ters of  the  Holy  Cross. 


The  Civil  War  Period. 

4t  4t  S 

The  Daughters  of  the  Revolution  are  justly 
proud  of  the  heritage  of  their  name  and  descent; 
and  equally  do  they  who  claim  kinship  with  the 
heroes  of  a  later  period  of  trial,  glory  in  the  honor 
of  their  ancestors  or  comrades,  as  the  case  may  be; 
and  tales  of  their  valor  and  stories  of  their  suffer- 
ings recounted  in  these  times  of  peace  stir  the  blood 
and  quicken  the  pulse,  making  one  realize  that  true 
patriotism  is  indeed  a  sort  of  religion.  It  was  this 
real  love  of  country,  animated  by  Christian  charity 
and  zeal,  that,  in  1861,  prompted  the  Sisters  of  the 
Holy  Cross  to  respond  to  the  call  of  need,  by  volun- 
teering to  go  to  the  succor  of  the  sick  and  wounded 
in  the  military  hospitals  and  on  the  field  of  battle. 

All  who  offered  their  services  could  not  go;  but 
those  who  were  selected  were  followed  by  the  lov- 
ing sympathy  and  prayers  of  their  sisters  at  home, 
who  half  envied  them  the  privilege  they  enjoyed; 
though  consoling  themselves  by  the  thought  that 


90  A  Story  o^  Fi^y  Y^ars 

it  was  as  Sisters  of  the  Holy  Cross  the  devoted 
nurses  were  enrolled  on  their  country's  record,  and 
that  the  sisters  on  the  field  of  active  duty,  as  well 
as  those  in  their  Convent  home,  found  courage  in 
the  same  cross-surmounted  flag,  while  all  prayed 
for  the  peace  and  well-being  of  the  land  they  loved. 
On  October  22d,  1861,  Very  Reverend  Father 
Sorin  issued  the  following  official  letter,  which  is 
eloquent  of  the  spirit  of  the  community  at  that  time : 

St.  Mary's  of  the  Immaculate  Conception. 
October  22,  1861. 
My  dear  Daughters  in  Christ : 

Among  the  distressing  features  of  the  times,  I  am  glad  to 
convey  to  you  some  consoling  news ;  for,  however  much  we 
deplore  the  distracted  state  of  our  country,  we  find  a  grati- 
fication in  being  able  to  assuage  some  of  its  sorrows.  Indeed, 
simple  as  it  is  to  us  religious,  I  hail  it  as  an  event  which  I 
chronicle  with  pleasure,  knowing  in  advance  that  you  will 
learn  the  news  with  delight, 

A  most  honorable  call  has  been  made  on  your  community 
by  the  first  Magistrate  in  our  State*  asking  for  twelve  sisters 
to  go  and  attend  the  sick,  the  wounded  and  dying  soldiers. 
The  call  has  been  unhesitatingly  responded  to,  and  this 
afternoon  six  Sisters  of  Holy  Cross  started  for  Paducah, 
Kentucky, — namely.  Mother  Angela,  Sister  Magdalene,  Sis- 
ter Winifred,  Sister  Adele,  Sister  Veronica  and  Sister  Anne. 
Six  more  are  preparing  to  start  for  Missouri  within  a  week. 

They  were  chosen  from  a  large  number  of  volunteers; 
and  if  we  judge  of  their  sentiments  by  the  joy  with  which 


•Governor  Morton,  at  the  instance  of  General  Lew  Wallace. 


The  Civil.  War  Period.  91 

they  received  word  of  their  selection,  we  have  reason  to 
believe  that  they  duly  appreciate  the  honor  and  favor  be- 
stowed on  them.  It  is  in  this  light  we  should  view  the  event ; 
for  were  it  possible  that  the  community  should  ever  forget 
such  an  act  of  devotedness,  Heaven  will  not  let  it  go  unre- 
warded. 

It  is  well  known  that  in  the  late  Crimean  War  the  Sisters 
of  Charity  covered  themselves  with  glory  before  men,  and, 
doubtless,  with  merits  before  God.  When  the  record  of  our 
present  struggles  will  be  handed  down  to  posterity,  will  it 
not  be  a  source  of  joy  for  the  Church  to  be  able  to  show,  in 
every  rank  of  society,  the  name  of  many  a  glorious  hero 
generously  sacrificed  for  the  rescue  of  the  country  ? 

But  why  should  we  be  left  out  of  the  list?  Are  we  not 
members  of  the  holy  band  of  the  Cross — a  company  recently 
formed  to  meet  the  chief  needs  of  our  time?  If  the  Standard 
of  the  Cross,  under  which  we  have  enlisted,  knows  of  no 
enemies  among  men,  if  our  object,  on  the  contrary,  is  to 
rally  them  all  under  the  precious  emblem  of  our  salvation, 
our  little  army  stands  arrayed  against  the  enemy  of  mankind, 
the  spirit  of  darkness,  and  the  evils  and  the  wounds  which 
he  has  inflicted  on  humanity.  Hence,  wherever  there  is  a 
pain  to  soothe,  a  pang  to  relieve,  a  bleeding  heart  or  limb 
to  treat  or  dress,  there  is  a  field  for  us  to  enter,  under  pain 
of  deserting  our  noble  banner. 

Such  is  the  field  now  opened  by  the  calamity  of  our  land. 
Four  of  our  Fathers  have  already  entered  it;  and  in  a  few 
days  a  dozen  sisters  of  the  same  family  will  have  gone,  with 
no  other  arms  but  their  Cross  and  their  Beads;  bringing 
with  them  in  the  devotedness  of  their  hearts  a  pledge  of  effi- 
cient help,  and  in  the  modesty  of  their  countenances  edifica- 
tion and  the  influence  for  good. 

If  man  in  the  discharge  of  duty  is  always  entitled  to 


92  A  Story  of  Fifty  Years 

some  share  of  sympathy,  this  is  especially  true  when  a  gen- 
erous obedience  to  the  voice  of  his  country  brings  him  to 
sufferings  and  all  sorts  of  peril.  This  cannot  be  denied. 
Nor  is  it  idle  to  show  that  our  institutions  are  not  useless 
or  totally  dead  to  the  vital  interests  of  the  land;  for  thus, 
and  thus  only,  the  eyes  of  many  will  be  opened  to  the  real 
spirit  of  religious  communities.  A  little  band  of  devoted 
sisters,  ministering  like  angels  amidst  the  soldiery,  will  do 
away  with  prejudices  and  show  the  beauty  and  resources  of 
the  Catholic  Faith  to  support  man  in  all  possible  trials  much 
more  forcibly  than  volumes  of  argument  and  evidence. 

But,  laying  aside  all  terrestrial  considerations,  there  are 
souls  to  be  saved — souls  redeemed  by  Jesus  Christ,  and  ex- 
posed to  eternal  ruin.  Who  knows  if,  after  receiving  the 
kind  ministrations  of  these  angels  of  the  earth,  those  poor 
sufferers  will  not  be  willing  to  listen  to  the  words  of  salva- 
tion ;  and  if  thus  made  to  feel  the  benefit  of  their  devoted- 
ness,  they  will  not  permit  them  to  prepare  their  souls  for 
baptism  and  heaven?  If  a  single  soul  could  thus  be  gained 
to  God,  would  it  not  more  than  justify  the  trial?  But  who 
could  tell  how  many  may  thus  be  sent  to  heaven  ?  What  a 
joy  will  it  not  bring  to  the  apostolic  heart  of  our  venerated 
Founder  to  hear  of  this  heroic  act  of  charity  undertaken 
by  this  little  vanguard  of  his  company  in  the  New  World ! 
It  seems  I  hear  his  voice  from  beyond  the  waters  cheering 
the  privileged  twelve  on  their  noble  errand  of  charity.  It 
is  in  his  name  I  have  blessed  them ;  and  they  may  rest  as- 
sured that  while  they  follow  the  fortunes  of  the  battle- 
fields of  the  nation,  he,  like  Moses,  will  be  praying  for  them 
on  the  mountain-top;  we,  too,  will  persevere  with  him  in 
prayer  in  their  behalf.  In  all  our  houses  there  shall  be  of- 
fered for  them  a  general  Communion  every  Saturday,  that 


The:  Civil  War  Period  93 

they  may  fully  discharge  the  important  trust  they  have  re- 
ceived. 

Our  Blessed  Mother  has  seen  the  little  band  on  their 
knees  in  her  own  House  of  Loreto,  and  again,  at  the  Por- 
tiuncula,  among  the  angels ;  doubtless  she  has  blessed  them, 
and  taken  each  of  them  in  her  special  custody.  To  those 
beloved  sanctuaries  they  will  often  return  in  spirit;  there 
also  we  shall  meet  them  to  entreat  the  august  Mother  of 
God  to  grant  success  to  their  noble  mission. 

E.  SoRiN. 

It  was  thus  with  the  blessing  of  obedience  that 
the  sisters  entered  upon  their  chosen  labors,  and, 
from  that  time  until  the  close  of  the  War,  they  gave 
their  untiring  services  to  the  care  of  the  sick  and 
wounded  in  the  military  hospitals  at  Washington, 
Memphis,  Paducah,  Louisville,  Cairo  and  Mound 
City,  as  well  as  on  the  hospital  boats  that  bore  the 
suffering  soldiers  from  the  scenes  of  strife  to  where 
they  might  receive  medical  attention  and  the  care 
they  needed.  The  war  records  of  those  momentous 
years  (1861-1865)  bear  the  names  of  nearly  four- 
score Sisters  of  the  Holy  Cross,  many  of  them  long 
since  mustered  out  of  life's  warfare;  two  of  them, 
Sister  M.  Fidelis  and  Sister  M.  EHse,  died  in  ser- 
vice the  first  year  of  the  War,  one  at  Mound  City, 
the  other  at  Cairo ;  and  the  list  of  surviving  sisters 
who  still  love  to  talk  over  war-times  in  true  "vet- 


94  A  Story  o^  F'ifty  Years 

eran"  fashion  includes  the  names  of  Mother  M. 
Augusta,  Sister  M.  Compassion,  Sister  Bernard, 
Sister  Aloysius,  Sister  Celestine,  Sister  Augustina, 
Sister  Adele,  Sister  Catherine,  Sister  De  Sales, 
Sister  Athanasius,  Sister  Anthony,  Sister  Magda- 
lene, Sister  Bartholomew,  Sister  Matilda,  Sister 
Martha,  Sister  Ferdinand,  Sister  Victoria,  Sister 
Gregory,  Sister  Theodore,  Sister  Odelia,  Sister 
Helen,  Sister  Paula,  Sister  Lydia,  Sister  Placidus, 
Sister  Irene  and  Sister  M.  of  the  Passion. 

The  first  band,  with  Mother  Angela  in  charge, 
reached  Cairo  on  October  24th,  where  they  at  once 
reported  to  General  Grant,  who  received  the  sisters 
with  courteous  consideration.  They  then  proceeded 
to  Paducah,  where  they  took  charge  of  the  military 
hospital.  In  November,  Mother  Angela  received  a 
dispatch  from  Washington,  D.  C,  with  orders  to 
open  the  hospital  in  Mound  City.  She  telegraphed 
to  St.  Mary's  for  sisters,  and,  with  a  young  girl  as 
companion,  started  at  once  for  the  scene  of  new 
labors.  The  hospital  was  a  large  unfinished  block 
of  warehouses;  but  before  long  the  Government 
had  converted  the  structure  into  commodious  quar- 
ters, where,  under  the  management  of  the  sisters, 
the  hospital  came  to  be  known  as  one  of  the  best  in 


The:  Civil,  War  Period  95 

the  military  service.  At  times  there  were  from  a 
thousand  to  fourteen  hundred  patients  under  treat- 
ment, many  of  the  sick  and  wounded  being  prison- 
ers of  war.  There  was  no  distinction  of  North  and 
South  in  the  wards  of  the  soldiers,  and  the  closeness 
of  death  taught  life  the  lesson  of  love.  The  records 
of  the  various  nurses  tell  of  scenes  that  even  to  wit- 
ness without  flinching  must  have  called  for  more 
than  merely  human  strength  of  mind  and  heart. 
For  instance,  one  recounts  that  after  the  battle  of 
Fort  Donelson,  in  February,  1862,  wounded  soldiers 
were  borne  in  that  presented  a  pitiful  spectacle  of 
suffering.  Many  had  been  neglected  on  the  field, 
and  frozen  members  were  the  consequence.  The 
condition  of  some  was  too  heartrending  even  to 
mention,  but  to  all  the  gentle  ministrations  of  kind- 
ness gave  what  relief  was  possible.  What  added 
to  the  trying  situation  was  that  there  were  few  sis- 
ters and  many  demands ;  and  though  the  sisters  did 
not  spare  themselves  night  or  day,  they  could  not 
accomplish  all  that  they  wished.  Their  own  com- 
fort was  their  last  consideration;  indeed,  during 
the  first  year  they  endured  many  privations.  Not 
unfrequently  the  sisters — and  Mother  Angela  was 
no  exception — had  to  sleep  on  the  floor. 


96  A  Story  of  Fifty  Y^ars 

In  the  spring  of  1862,  the  Ohio  River  overflowed 
the  country  about  Mound  City,  and  the  hospital  was 
surrounded  by  water.  All  communication  with  the 
outside  world  was  carried  on  by  means  of  boats, 
and,  as  the  flood  showed  no  signs  of  abating,  the 
sick  and  wounded  who  were  at  all  able  to  bear  the 
fatigue,  were  transferred  to  Jefferson  Barracks  in 
St.  Louis,  the  others  being  moved  to  the  upper 
stories  of  the  building.  It  was  during  this  time 
that  Sister  Fidelis,  faithful  indeed,  was  called  to 
her  eternal  reward.  As  her  body  lay  on  a  cot,  wait- 
ing the  arrival  of  the  undertaker,  the  water  reached 
a  height  of  several  inches  on  the  floor  of  her  room. 
When  all  was  ready,  soldiers  placed  the  cofiin  in  a 
boat  and  it  was  rowed  through  the  woods  to  the 
railway  station,  to  meet  the  train  for  Chicago,  en 
route  for  St.  Mary's. 

It  was  a  sad  Good  Friday  for  the  sisters  who 
looked  over  the  stretch  of  water  and  watched  until 
the  boat  with  its  precious  freight  was  lost  to  view, 
but  they  knew  that  for  Sister  Fidelis  Easter  was 
near.  Dr.  McMahon,  who  attended  the  sister  during 
her  illness,  was  deeply  impressed  by  her  gentle  pa- 
tience and  simple  piety.  One  day  he  made  a  remark 
about  the  fine  appearance  the  front  of  the  hospital 


^: 


^ 


"NORTH  CAMPUS  AND  TENNft 


96  A  StijuY  OF  Fifty  Ysars 

spring  Ji  1862,  the  Ohio  River  overflowe  i 

-c  c'juntry  about  Mound  City,  and  the  hospital  was 

surrounded  by  water.    All  communication  with  the 

outside  world  was  carried  on  by  means  of  boats, 

and,  as  the  flood  showed  no  sv:rv^    '^'  abating,  the 

sick  and  wounded  whr  var  the 

,  gue,  were  transfer 

Louis,  the  raoved   to  the  upper 

stories  of.  the  buiidmg      It  was  during  this  time 

that  Sister  Fidelis,  faithful  indeed,  was  called  to 

her  eter^g^kt5Waj:^iA3\sdviR  Wi^fiS  m^cP^^t,  wait- 


A  at  and  it  wa     . 
railway  station,  to  meet 
route  for  St.  Mary's. 

It  was  a  sad  Good  Friday  for  the  sisters  who 
looked  over  the  stretch  of  water  and  watched  until 
the  boat  with  its  precious  freight  was  lost  to  view, 
■(  ..,  ,'    .    1-,,..,,,  a,^^  fQj-  Q.:c<...    ■:;^j[gjis  Easter  was 

...  ,.  -     .5.  d  the  sister  during 

her  illness,  'by  her  gentle  pa- 

tience and  simple  piety.    One  day  he  made  a  remark 
about  the  fine  appearance  the  front  of  the  hospital 


m^M^ 


The  Civil,  War  Period  97 

presented,  and  Sister  Fidelis  told  him  she  had  never 
seen  the  outside  of  the  building,  as  it  v^as  evening 
when  she  came.  "What,"  said  the  astonished  doc- 
tor, "you  have  never  seen  the  outside  of  the  build- 
ing in  which  you  have  lived  six  months  ?"  And  he 
evidently  was  impressed  by  the  fact,  as  he  spoke  of 
it  to  the  other  doctors  more  than  once. 

Mother  Augusta  and  her  little  band  of  nurses  ar- 
rived at  Cairo,  Sunday,  December  13,  1861;  hav- 
ing heard  Mass  at  St.  Patrick's  Church,  and  break- 
fasted at  the  presbytery,  thanks  to  the  kind  invita- 
tion of  the  pastor,  they  proceeded  to  the  hospital, 
then  known  as  "The  Bulletin,''  later  as  "St.  John's." 
The  surgeon  in  charge.  Dr.  Burke,  conducted  the 
sisters  through  the  wards,  which  were  in  a  frightful 
state.  The  apartments  on  the  first  floor  had  been 
used  as  receiving  and  operating  rooms,  and  ampu- 
tated arms  and  legs  and  pieces  of  human  flesh  were 
strewn  around.  The  walls  and  floors  were  blood- 
stained, and,  altogether,  the  sight  was  appalling. 
But  Mother  Augusta  and  her  two  assistants  began 
work  at  once;  with  the  help  of  orderlies  detailed 
for  that  purpose,  conditions  were  gradually 
changed,  and  before  many  days  the  work  of  caring 
for  the  sick  and  wounded  and  administering  the 


98  A  Story  of  Fifty  Y^ars 

household  affairs  of  the  hospital  was  as  well  system- 
atized as  was  possible  under  existing  circumstances. 

Mound  City,  Memphis  and  Cairo  were  the  gen- 
eral centres  of  the  corps  sent  from  St.  Mary's,  and 
they  were  drawn  on  for  nurses  on  the  transports 
and  on  the  hospital  boat  Red  Rover,  from  which 
the  sisters  heard  the  firing  at  Vicksburg,  and  saw 
more  than  one  boat  run  the  blockade. 

Sometimes  the  individual  records  of  the  sisters 
in  relating  edifying  incidents,  unintentionally  re- 
veal heroism  and  devotedness  on  their  part.  A  case 
in  point  is  furnished  by  the  fragment  of  a  letter  or 
report — presumably  sent  to  the  superiors  at  home 
and  found  among  detached  papers — simply  relating 
the  conversion  and  happy  death  of  a  young  soldier- 
nurse,  detailed  for  night  duty.  It  was  for  the  story 
of  the  young  man's  conversion  that  the  letter  was 
written,  but  the  setting  of  the  story  tells  that  the 
sisters  were  at  a  pest  hospital  in  Missouri,  at  a  small 
town  called  Franklin,  or  Pacific  City,  where  there 
were  a  number  of  soldiers,  not  wounded,  but  suffer- 
ing and  dying  from  camp-fever,  pneumonia  and 
other  diseases  prevalent  and  too  often  fatal  in  the 
camps.  It  was  a  forlorn,  desolate,  unwholesome 
place,  but  with  the  help  of  three  energetic  sisters, 


Thk  Civil  War  Period  99 

aided  by  the  Sanitary  Commission,  a  better  condi- 
tion of  things  soon  prevailed,  and  the  men  began  to 
improve. 

One  of  the  nurses,  in  citing  her  war  experiences, 
writes:  "After  one  battle  there  were  seven  hun- 
dred in  the  hospital,  and  only  four  sisters  to 
wait  on  them.  It  was  heartrending  to  see  the  poor 
men  stretching  out  their  hands  to  us  to  attract  at- 
tention, for  many  of  them  were  not  able  to  speak." 
Again  she  writes :  "At  another  time  the  small-pox 
broke  out  among  the  soldiers,  and  we  had  charge  of 
the  pest-house,"  adding,  with  sweet  humility: 
"After  the  epidemic,  by  request  of  the  doctors,  / 
was  sent  home  on  a  four  months'  furlough."  In 
this  case,  the  editorial  "we"  hardly  serves  to  con- 
ceal identity. 

The  military  hospitals  at  Paducah  and  Louisville, 
"The  Overton"  at  Memphis,  "St.  Aloysius"  in 
Washington,  D.  C,  the  Naval  Hospital,  also  at 
Memphis,  all  were  scenes  of  the  sisters'  labors; 
"The  Overton"  especially,  the  sisters  remaining 
there  until  after  the  war.  On  the  conclusion  of  hos- 
tilities they  were  transferred  to  the  city  hospital  at 
Memphis,  where  they  remained  as  long  as  their  ser- 
vices were  needed. 


100  A  Story  o^  Fi^ty  Ykars 

Mother  Angela  kept  up  her  home  duties  during 
the  years  of  the  war,  and  found  time  to  visit  her 
missions  in  Philadelphia,  as  well  as  to  serve  as  in- 
termediary with  the  ecclesiastical  authorities  in 
Chicago,  when  the  question  of  the  community's 
withdrawal  was  first  broached.  But  the  sisters  en- 
gaged in  the  military  hospitals  were  never  forgot- 
ten, and  she  kept  in  constant  touch  with  each  and 
all.  Her  visits  to  them  were  frequent  and  her 
enthusiasm  worked  a  magic  charm  over  fatigue  and 
discouragement.  There  are  people  who  can  inspire 
others  to  do  that  which,  ordinarily  speaking,  is  im- 
possible; Mother  Angela  was  one  of  these.  Her 
faith  and  courage  would  not  recognize  limitations, 
hence  the  nature,  the  magnitude,  of  her  achieve- 
ments and  those  of  her  sisters. 

The  following  incident,  written  by  Mother  An- 
gela herself,  and  reprinted,  with  kind  permission, 
from  the  Ave  Maria,  tells  something  of  what  the 
sisters  went  through,  and  how  they  acquitted  them- 
selves under  circumstances  such  as  try  men's  souls : 

A  Death  that  Recalls  a  Noble  Deed. 

Died,  at  the  Mother-House  of  the  Sisters  of  the  Holy 
Cross,  St.  Mary's.  Notre  Dame,  Ind.,  July  28,  1885,  Sister 
Mary  of  St.  Josephine. 


The  Civil  War  Period  101 

Sister  Josephine  was  one  among  the  first  of  the  eighty 
Sisters  of  the  Holy  Cross  who,  during  the  late  Civil  War, 
served  the  sick  and  wounded  soldiers  in  the  military  hos- 
pitals of  Louisville,  Paducah,  Cairo,  Mound  City,  Memphis 
and  Washington  City. 

Those  who  knew  this  quiet,  gentle  religious  only  during 
the  last  twenty  years  of  her  life  could  scarcely  realize  what 
courage,  even  heroism,  animated  her  during  those  years  of 
the  war  spent  in  the  hospitals.  We  give  below  one  in- 
stance among  many  others. 

In  the  summer  of  1862  the  Confederate  Fort  Charles,  on 
White  River,  was  attacked  on  land  by  a  force  under  the 
command  of  Colonel  Fitch  of  Indiana,  and  from  the  water 
by  gunboats  commanded  by  Commodore  Davis.  In  the 
midst  of  the  battle  the  boilers  of  one  of  the  gunboats  ex- 
ploded, frightfully  scalding  Captain  Kelty  and  some  fifty 
others.  The  sufferers,  in  their  agony,  leaped  into  the  river ; 
and  as  they  did  so,  a  broadside  from  Fort  Charles  poured 
bullets  and  grapeshot  into  their  parboiled  flesh. 

The  battle  ended  with  the  capture  of  the  Fort,  and  the 
wounded  of  both  sides  were  taken  to  Mound  City  Hospital 
— a  block  of  some  twenty-four  unfinished  warehouses  and 
store-rooms  that  had  been  converted  into  a  vast  hospital,  in 
which,  after  some  of  the  great  battles  in  the  Mississippi 
Valley,  as  many  as  two  thousand  patients  were  treated  by 
a  staff  of  medical  officers  and  nursed  by  twenty-eight  sis- 
ters. Sister  Josephine  being  one  of  them.  Colonel  Fry,  com- 
mander of  the  Fort,  supposed  to  be  dangerously  wounded, 
and  Captain  Kelty  were  of  the  number  brought  to  Mound 
City  after  the  surrender  of  Fort  Charles. 

The  latter  was  a  general  favorite  among  the  men  and 
officers  of  the  Western  flotilla.  His  sad  state — the  scalded 
flesh   falling   from  the  bones,  and  pierced  with  bullets — 


102  A  Story  of  Fifty  Years 

excited  them  almost  to  frenzy.  He  was  tenderly  placed  in 
a  little  cottage  away  from  the  main  building;  and  Colonel 
Fry,  with  a  few  other  sufferers,  was  put  in  a  front  room 
on  the  second  story  of  the  hospital,  under  the  immediate 
care  of  Sister  Josephine. 

The  next  day  the  report  spread  like  wildfire  through  the 
hospital,  and  among  the  one  hundred  soldiers  detailed  to 
guard  it,  that  Captain  Kelty  was  dying.  The  wildest  ex- 
citement prevailed;  and  in  the  frenzy  of  the  moment,  Colo- 
nel Fry  was  denounced  as  his  murderer;  it  was  declared 
that  he  had  given  the  inhuman  order  to  fire  on  the  scalded 
men.  Everyone  firmly  believed  this.  But  it  was  not  true. 
Colonel  Fry  was  ignorant  of  the  explosion  on  the  gunboat 
when  the  order  was  given. 

Sister  Josephine,  very  pale,  yet  wonderfully  composed, 
went  to  the  sister  in  charge  of  the  hospital,  to  say  that  all 
the  wounded  had  just  been  removed  from  the  room  under 
her  care,  except  Colonel  Fry.  The  soldiers  detailed  to 
guard  the  hospital,  and  the  gunboat  men,  had  built  a  rough 
scaffold  in  front  of  the  two  windows  of  the  room,  mounted 
it  with  loaded  guns,  and  loudly  declared  that  they  would 
stay  there,  and  the  instant  they  heard  of  Captain  Kelty's 
death  they  would  shoot  Colonel  Fry.  "And,"  continued 
Sister  Josephine,  "the  doctor  made  me  leave  the  room,  say- 
ing that  my  life  was  in  danger.  He  took  the  key  from  the 
door  and  gave  it  to  'Dutch  Johnny,'  telling  him  that  he  had 
entire  charge  of  the  man  within." 

Now,  Dutch  Johnny  was  one  of  six  brothers ;  five  had 
been  killed  at  Belmont;  Johnny  was  so  badly  wounded  and 
crippled  in  the  same  battle  that  he  was  useless  for  active 
service,  and  so  was  left  to  help  in  the  hospital.  But  one  idea 
possessed  him ;  in  revenge  for  his  brothers'  death  he  intended 
to  kill  five  Confederates  before  he  died. 


Thi-  CiviIv  War  Pi^riod  103 

In  this  fearful  state  of  affairs,  the  sister  in  charge  went 
to  the  Surgeon  General  of  the  staff,  begging  him  to  see 
that  no  murder  be  committed.  Dr.  Franklin  answered  that 
he  was  powerless  to  control  events,  and  that  the  captain 
of  the  company  guarding  the  hospital  was  absent. 

"Then,"  said  the  sister,  "I  must  call  my  twenty-seven 
sisters  from  the  sick;  we  will  leave  the  hospital,  and  walk 
down  to  Cairo."     (A  distance  of  three  miles.) 

In  vain  did  the  doctor  represent  to  her  the  sad  state  of 
all  the  patients  she  was  leaving.  She  would  not  consent  to 
remain  in  a  house  where  murder  would  soon  be  committed, 
except  on  one  condition :  that  the  doctor  would  give  her  the 
key  of  Colonel  Fry's  room,  and  that  the  sisters  have  the 
care  and  entire  control  of  the  patient. 

"But,"  expostulated  the  doctor,  "it  will  be  at  the  risk  of 
your  lives ;  for  if  Captain  Kelty  dies — and  I  see  no  hope  of 
his  recovery — no  power  on  earth  can  restrain  those  men 
from  shooting  Colonel  Fry." 

"Oh,  doctor!"  she  answered,  "I  have  too  much  faith  in 
the  natural  chivalry  of  every  soldier — ^be  he  from  North 
or  South  of  Mason  and  Dixon's  line — ^to  fear  he  would 
shoot  a  poor  wounded  man  while  a  sister  stood  near  him !" 

Seeing  the  sisters  would  leave  if  this  request  was  not 
granted,  the  doctor  sent  for  Dutch  Johnny,  took  the  key 
from  him  and  gave  it  to  the  sister.  The  latter  called  for 
Sister  Josephine,  and  both  went  in  haste  to  the  room  of  the 
wounded  man. 

As  they  turned  the  key  and  opened  the  door,  a  fearful 
scene  was  before  them.  Colonel  Fry  lay  in  a  cot ;  his  arms, 
both  broken,  were  strapped  up  with  cords  fastened  to  the 
ceiling;  one  broken  leg  was  strapped  to  the  bed;  only  his 
head  seemed  free.  As  he  turned  it,  and  glared  fiercely,  as 
he  thought,  upon  another  foe,  he  seemed  like  some  wild  ani- 


104  A  Story  of  Fifty  Years 

mal  at  bay  and  goaded  to  madness.  Before  Sister  Josephine 
had  been  forced  to  leave  the  room,  she  had  closed  the  win- 
dows, and  lowered  the  blinds;  but  her  successor,  Dutch 
Johnny,  had  changed  all  this;  he  had  rolled  up  the  blinds, 
and  thrown  up  the  lower  sashes.  And  there,  on  the  raised 
platform,  not  fifty  feet  from  him,  Colonel  Fry  could  see  the 
faces  and  hear  the  voices  of  the  soldiers  and  gunboat  men, 
shouting  every  few  minutes  for  him  to  be  ready  to  die, 
for  they  would  shoot  him  as  soon  as  they  heard  of  Captain 
Kelty's  death. 

Very  quietly  and  gently  did  Sister  Josephine  speak  to 
the  wounded  man,  moistening  his  parched  lips  with  a  cool- 
ing drink,  giving  what  relief  she  could  to  his  poor  tortured 
body,  and  assuring  him  that  she  and  the  other  sister  would 
not  leave  him;  so  he  need  not  fear  that  the  soldiers  would 
fire  while  they  remained. 

When  these  men  saw  the  sisters  in  the  room  they  begged 
them  to  leave — even  threatened — but  to  no  purpose;  brave, 
noble  Sister  Josephine  and  her  companion  stood  at  their 
post  all  through  that  long  afternoon  and  far  into  the  night; 
and  they  prayed,  perhaps  more  earnestly  than  they  ever 
prayed  before,  that  Captain  Kelty  would  not  die;  for,  in 
spite  of  all  their  assuring  words  to  Colonel  Fry,  they  did 
not  feel  so  very  certain  that  their  lives  would  be  safe  among 
frenzied  men,  bent  on  taking  revenge  into  their  own  hands. 

In  the  meantime  it  became  known  that  Captain  Kelty 
was  a  Catholic — a  convert — though  for  many  years  he  had 
neglected  his  religious  duties.  A  messenger  was  sent  to 
Cairo  to  bring  Father  Welsh  to  the  dying  man.  When  he 
came.  Captain  Kelty  was  in  delirium,  and  the  Father  could 
give  him  only  Extreme  Unction.  Soon  after,  about  nine 
o'clock,  he  sank  into  a  quiet  sleep.  He  awoke,  perfectly 
conscious,  near  midnight,  made  his  confession,  received  Holy 


The  Civii<  War  Period  105 

Communion,  and  took  some  nourishment.  The  doctor  said 
all  danger  was  over,  and  a  messenger  ran  in  breathless  haste 
to  spread  the  glad  tidings.  The  excited  soldiers  fired  a  few 
blank  cartridges  as  a  parting  salvo,  jumped  from  the  scaf- 
fold, and  were  seen  no  more.  The  rest  of  the  night  good 
Sister  Josephine  took  care  of  her  patient,  undisturbed  by 
any  serious  fear  that  both  might  be  sent  into  eternity  before 
morning. 

When  the  naval  officers,  who  the  night  before  had  looked, 
as  they  feared,  their  last  look  on  the  living  face  of  Captain 
Kelty,  went  up  the  next  day  from  Cairo  and  found  him  out 
of  danger,  they  laughed  and  cried  with  joy.  In  a  whisper 
Captain  Kelty  asked  them  to  be  silent  a  moment  and  listen 
to  him.    In  a  voice  trembling  with  weakness  he  said : 

"While  I  thank  these  good  doctors  for  all  they  have  done, 
I  must  testify — and  they  will  bear  me  out  in  what  I  say — 
it  was  not  their  skill,  nor  any  earthly  power,  that  brought 
me  back  from  the  brink  of  the  grave,  but  the  saving  and 
life-giving  Sacraments  of  the  Catholic  Church." 

Colonel  Fry  and  Captain  Kelty  had  long  known  each 
other.  Both  were  naval  officers,  until  at  the  beginning  of 
the  war  Captain  Fry  left  the  service,  and  was  made  Colonel 
Fry  in  the  Confederate  army. 

As  soon  as  Captain  Kelty  was  well  enough  to  learn  what 
had  passed,  he  declared  Colonel  Fry  was  guiltless  of  the 
barbarity  of  which  he  had  been  accused.  And  Sister  Jo- 
sephine was  made  the  bearer  to  her  patient  of  all  the  delica- 
cies sent  to  Captain  Kelty,  and  which  he  insisted  on  sharing 
with  Colonel  Fry. 

As  soon  as  Captain  Kelty  could  travel,  he  was  taken  to 
his  home  in  Baltimore.  For  his  bravery  he  was  made 
Commodore,  and  placed  in  command  at  Norfolk;  but  he 
was  maimed  for  life :  his  right  hand  and  arm,  all  shrivelled 


106  A  Story  of  Fifty  Ye:ars 

and  wasted,  hung  lifeless  by  his  side.  When  able  to  take 
such  a  journey  alone,  he  went  all  the  way  back  to  Cairo,  to 
see  again  and  thank  those  sisters,  who,  he  said,  under  God, 
had  saved  his  life  in  a  double  sense.  He  remained  until  his 
death  a  most  fervent  Catholic. 

Colonel  Fry,  after  many  months  of  suffering,  also  recov- 
ered; he  was  paroled,  and  returned  to  his  home  in  New 
Orleans.  There  he  became  a  Catholic,  often  declaring  that 
good  Sister  Josephine's  bravery  and  devotedness  during  that 
day  and  night  of  torture  and  agony,  followed  by  months 
of  long  suffering,  were  eloquent  sermons  that  he  could  not 
resist. 

A  few  years  after  the  close  of  the  war,  he  was  one  of  the 
leaders  of  that  rash  band  of  adventurers  who  invaded  Cuba. 
His  fate  is  well  known :  with  those  under  his  command,  he 
was  captured  and  executed.  But  it  is  not  so  well  known 
that  he  profited  by  the  days  spent  in  prison,  in  instructing 
those  with  him;  and  many  were  converted  to  the  holy 
faith  that  first  came  to  him  through  Sister  Josephine. 

Twenty-three  years  to  the  very  month  passed  away,  when 
quietly  and  calmly,  as  in  the  discharge  of  hospital  duties, 
this  good  sister,  strengthened  by  the  Sacraments  of  the 
Church,  literally  fell  asleep  in  Our  Lord,  a  few  days  after 
the  close  of  the  annual  retreat,  at  which  she  had  assisted. 
Owing  to  the  intense  heat  of  the  weather,  it  was  deemed 
necessary  to  advance  the  hour  of  burial  from  six  o'clock  in 
the  morning  to  eight  o'clock  of  the  previous  evening.  Scarce 
ever  was  a  procession  more  affecting:  the  sisters — more 
than  three  hundred  in  number — all  bearing  lighted  tapers, — 
the  Rev.  Chaplains,  and  the  venerable  Father  Sorin,  Supe- 
rior-General, C.  S.  C,  followed  the  remains  of  Sister  Jo- 
sephine through  the  beautiful  grounds  of  St.  Mary's  to  the 
cemetery.    The  moon  shone  as  brightly  on  her  lifeless  body 


Th:^  Civil  War  Period  107 

as  it  had  shone  years  ago  through  the  open  window  on  her 
brave,  gentle  form,  when  she  saved  from  death  or  insanity 
the  wounded  prisoner  in  her  charge. 

It  was  Mother  Angela  herself  who  was  Sister 
Josephine's  companion  on  that  awful  night  at 
Mound  City,  and  it  was  witnessing  acts  of  heroism 
like  this  that  prompted  a  non-Catholic  chaplain  to 
say:  "How  can  you  do  it,  Mother  Angela?"  To 
which  she  responded  by  taking  up  her  crucifix  and 
saying:  "It  is  easy.  Here  is  something  to  give  us 
courage." 

From  a  letter  written  to  the  Freeman's  Journal 
of  March  26th,  1887,  by  Eliza  Allen  Starr,  we  give 
the  following: 

During  the  early  days  of  the  War  and  the  hospital  service, 
we  all  know  how  inadequate  were  the  supplies  for  the  sick 
and  wounded;  how  meagre  the  equipment  for  the  hospital 
nurses.  A  poor  little  circular  stovepipe  served  the  inde- 
fatigable Mother  Angela  on  which  to  prepare  with  her  own 
hands  the  early  cup  of  gruel  for  her  patients,  rising  at  four 
if  need  be,  or  at  three  in  the  morning  to  answer  the  first 
call  of  the  sufferers ;  and  the  character  of  the  stores  provided 
was  such  as  few  could  realize  one  year  later.  At  this  time 
the  Commissary  board  sent  a  visitor  to  the  camp  and  hos- 
pital where  Mother  Angela  and  her  sisters  were  stationed. 
During  all  these  months  nothing  could  exceed  the  courtesy 
of  the  officers,  who  always  shared  any  choice  provisions 
which  came  to  them  with  the  sisters,  as  they  supposed, 


108  A  Story  of  Fifty  Years 

while  the  sisters  as  scrupulously  passed  on  to  their  patients 
everything  which  could  tempt  the  sick  appetite,  sharing  in 
fact  only  the  rations  served  regularly  to  the  hospital  wards. 
When  the  Commissary  visitor  arrived,  he  was  duly  escorted 
to  the  hospital,  which  excited  his  warmest  approbation  for 
its  order,  neatness,  comfort  of  every  sort;  but  as  he  was 
bowing  himself  out  in  the  most  complimentary  manner  from 
the  presence  of  Mother  Angela  and  her  band  of  sisters,  she 

said  to  him :    "But,  Mr. ,  you  must  allow  us  to  show 

you  some  hospitality.  Pardon  our  lack  of  silver  and  porce- 
lain, but  take  a  cup  of  hospital  tea!"  "Thank  you,  thank 
you,  Mother  Angela,  but  I  have  taken  dinner  already  with 
the  officers  and  need  nothing."  "Allow  me  to  insist!"  and 
before  another  excuse  could  be  urged,  a  sister  appeared 
with  a  snow-white  napkin  and  the  tin  cup  and  spoon  of  the 
hospital  and — the  anything  than  fragrant  beverage  of  hos- 
pital tea.  "Sugar,  Sister,"  said  Mother  Angela,  and  before 
the  visitor  could  wave  off  this  fresh  specimen  of  hospital 
luxury.  Mother  Angela  had  dumped  into  the  tin  cup  what 
resembled  the  scrapings  of  the  molasses  barrel  more  than 
sugar.  Being  a  gentleman  from  the  toe  of  his  boot  to 
the  crown  of  his  head,  he  drank  the  cup  of  tea,  well  stirred, 
to  its  dregs,  without  a  grimace,  bowing  as  he  handed  the 
empty  tin  cup  to  the  sister,  while  Mother  Angela  rubbed 
her  little  hands  with  unmistakable  glee,  and  the  full  merri- 
ment of  laughing  eyes,  as  she  said,  "I  knew,  Mr. ,  you 

would  wish  a  taste  of  our  hospital  tea !" 

The  Commissary  visitor  vowed  in  his  heart  as  he  turned 
from  the  hospital  door,  that  the  next  train  on  his  arrival 
home  should  take,  as  he  said  in  his  letter  to  Mother  Angela, 
such  stores  to  her  own  and  to  every  hospital  under  his 
charge,  as  a  Christian  man  could  accept  without  shame 
from  the  hand  of  any  hospital  nurse  in  the  land. 


The  Civil  War  Period  109 

There  were,  of  course,  many  laughable  happen- 
ings in  the  hospitals,  and  an  exchange  of  visits 
among  the  sisters  meant  an  exchange  of  experi- 
ences. There  was  need  of  something  to  lighten  the 
gloom  of  those  dread  days.  At  the  "Overton"  in 
Memphis,  one  time,  the  sisters  found  that  some  of 
their  snowy,  fluted  caps  were  missing,  and  a  diligent 
but  unavailing  search  was  made  among  the  belong- 
ings of  the  negro  help,  who  were  known  to  have 
a  well-developed  community-spirit  as  to  movable 
property.  As  a  last  resort,  a  guard,  with  a  musket 
in  hand,  presented  himself  before  them  as  they 
were  gathered  at  supper,  and  with  well-assumed 
gravity,  announced  immediate  court-martial  if  the 
sisters'  bonnets  were  not  forthcoming.  There  was 
a  hasty  scramble  for  hidden  boxes,  etc.,  and  the 
fluted  borders  of  the  caps  were  produced,  sewed  as 
ruffles  on  what  were  to  be  party  dresses  at  a  pro- 
spective dance! 

Volumes  might  be  written  on  the  sisters'  heroism 
and  devotedness,  but  all  this  pertains  to  the  least 
important  services  rendered  by  them.  The  record 
of  the  spiritual  good  they  accomplished  will  never 
be  known.  The  number  of  soldiers  who  asked  for 
Baptism  and  who  died  with  the  regenerating  wa- 


110  A  Story  oi?  Fifty  Years 

ters  still  fresh  on  their  heads  is  beyond  counting. 
The  most  precious  memories  of  the  sisters  who 
ministered  to  the  sick  and  wounded  during  the  Civil 
War  are  those  of  soul-awakenings,  of  pitiful  grop- 
ings  in  the  darkness  that  in  God's  goodness  led  to 
light  eternal,  of  victorious  struggles  against  doubt 
and  despair,  and  of  peaceful  and  holy  deaths.  Many 
a  man  came  to  know  the  beauty  of  the  Church 
through  the  lives  of  the  sisters,  and  many  a  soldier 
and  doctor  and  civilian  learned  to  love  the  religion 
for  itself,  which  they  first  respected  as  the  religion 
of  the  sisters.  This  is  a  subject  on  which  much 
might  be  said,  and  one  might  give  many  interest- 
ing items  to  show  the  deference  of  the  soldiers,  the 
kindness  of  officers,  as  well  as  the  courteous  consid- 
eration of  State  officials,  and  the  authorities  at 
Washington,  towards  the  sisterhoods  in  general,  the 
Sisters  of  the  Holy  Cross  in  particular.  Suffice  it  to 
say,  that  the  sisters'  calendar  marks  more  than  one 
memorial  day  in  the  year  as  sacred  to  sweet  mem- 
ories. 

On  the  occasion  of  Very  Reverend  Father  Sorin's 
Golden  Jubilee,  in  1888,  Most  Reverend  Archbishop 
Ireland  paid  a  tribute  to  the  Congregation  which 
seems  fitting  here  as  an  illustration  of  the  view 


RIVER  VIEWS. 


110  A  Story  op  Fiipty  Y^ars 

teic  -nu  iJt'sh  on  their  heads  is  beyond  counting. 
The  most  precious  memories  of  the  sisters  who 
ministered  to  the  sick  and  wounded  during  the  Civil 
War  are  those  of  soul-awakenings,  of  pitiful  grop- 
ings  in  the  darkn^^ss  that  in  God'«;  ^roodness  led  to 
light  eterns  doubt 

and  despair,  an 
a  man  came   t 

througfh  the  lives  oi  ^uc  sicvs..,  ^  r 

and  doctor  and  civilian  learned  to  luvt  tuc  icjigion 
for  itself,  which  Ihev  first  respected  as  the  religion 
of  the  sisters.  This  is  a  nnir.  t  on  which  much 
might  be  said,  and  one  ni  interest- 

ing items  to  show  the  dcf'prenrf  of  t1 
kindness  of 

eration  onties  at 

Washington,  towards  the  sisterhoods  in  general,  the 
Sisters  of  the  Holy  Cross  in  particular.  Suffice  it  to 
say,  that  the  sisters'  calendar  marks  more  than  one 
memorial  day  in  the  year  as  sacred  to  sweet  mem- 
ories. 

On  the  occasion  of  Very  Reverend  Father  Sorin's 
Golden  Jubilee,  in  1888,  Most  Reverend  Archbishop 
Ireland  paid  a  tribute  to  the  Congregation  which 
seems  fitting  here  as  an  illustration  of  the  view 


The:  Civil  War  Period  HI 

taken  of  the  work  of  Holy  Cross  by  those  not  of 
the  community: 

Father  Sorin  appealed  to  the  Sisters  of  the  Holy  Cross; 
and  they,  brave  as  they  were  tender  of  heart,  rushed  south- 
ward to  care  for  the  wounded  and  soothe  the  pillow  of  the 
dying.  Few  things  were  done  in  the  past  half -century  to 
break  down  more  effectually  anti-Catholic  prejudice  than 
the  sending  of  our  generous  sisters  to  the  battle-field  and 
the  military  hospitals.  The  soldiers  venerated  the  sisters, 
and  never  since  have  they  ceased  repeating  their  praise. 
There  were  other  priests  and  other  sisters  in  the  war ;  those 
of  the  Holy  Cross  made  up  the  greater  part  of  the  roster; 
none  excelled  them  in  daring  feats  and  religious  fervor;  no 
other  Order  made  for  the  purpose  sacrifices  as  did  the  Holy 
Cross. 

Father  Sorin,  you  have  saved  the  honor  of  the  Church. 
I  speak  from  a  special  knowledge  of  the  facts,  and  I  speak 
from  my  heart ;  and  could  the  country's  martyrs  speak  from 
the  silent  earth  at  Gettysburg  and  a  hundred  other  gory 
fields,  their  voices  would  re-echo  with  our  own  in  your  praise 
on  this  glorioiis  anniversary. 

A  grim  souvenir  of  the  days  of  strife  rests  at  the 
foot  of  the  flagstaff  on  the  campus  at  St.  Mary's, 
two  cannon,  "Lady  Polk"  and  "Lady  Davis,"  cap- 
tured from  the  Confederates  at  Island  No.  10,  and 
presented  by  Commodore  Davis,  Commander  of 
the  Western  Flotilla,  to  Mother  Angela,  whose  idea 
it  was  to  have  them  molded  into  a  massive  statue 
of  Our  Lady  of  Peace, — a  beautiful  idea  which  it 


112  A  Story  of  Fifty  Yfars 

is  to  be  hoped  will  some  day  be  carried  out.  Mean- 
while, the  cannon  lie  there  on  the  lawn,  the  Stars 
and  Stripes  floating  over  them,  the  robins  perching 
on  their  great  tubes,  the  squirrels  playing  in  and 
out,  and  happy  children  nestling  against  them.  Al- 
ready are  they  dedicated  to  Our  Lady  of  Peace ! 

There  is  something  about  the  religious  life  that 
makes  it  akin  to  the  military  life;  in  both  we  find 
uniformity,  the  communal  spirit,  thorough  organi- 
zation, respect  for  authority,  and  obedience.  Per- 
haps it  is  because  of  this,  or  perhaps  it  is  because 
of  the  martial  spirit  in  Mother  Angela  and  the  loyal 
soldiers  who  made  up  the  corps  of  nurses  that  so 
eagerly  went  to  the  front,  that  the  favorite  vacation 
song  of  the  sisters  is  a  home  version  of  an  old  war 
song.  Each  year  on  the  eve  of  the  general  disper- 
sion for  the  missions,  the  sisters  in  the  olden  times 
used  to  gather  on  the  lawn  in  front  of  the  convent, 
and  as  the  darkness  fell  and  the  hush  of  night 
touched  the  sounds  of  day  to  silence,  the  soldiers 
of  the  Cross  thus  sang  their  farewell  for  another 
year  to  their  beloved  convent  home: 


The  Civil.  War  Period  113 


We  are  tenting  to-night  on  the  dear  home  ground, 

Give  us  a  song  to  cheer, 
A  song  of  hope  for  our  eager  hearts, 

And  our  path  of  duty  clear. 

Chorus: — Many  are  the  hearts  that  are  beating  to-night, 
Beating  as  they  think  of  home, 
Many  are  the  hearts,  with  the  parting  hour  in  sight, 
And  the  field  of  strife  to  come. 

We  are  waiting  to-night  on  the  dear  home  ground. 

Thinking  of  the  days  gone  by. 
Of  the  Vows  we  have  made,  and  the  love  we  must  bear 

Those  Vows  till  the  day  we  die. 

We  are  ready  for  the  strife,  and  the  dear  home  ground 

Shall  cheer  our  memory  still, 
And  the  loved  and  true  who  have  gone  before, 

Record  our  warm  good  will. 

We  are  waiting  to-night  on  the  old  home  ground; 

But,  our  labors  one  day  o'er. 
We  shall  come  to  sleep  'neath  the  old  home  ground, 

And  shall  part  from  home  no  more. 


In  Ways  of  Peace. 
^  #  ^ 

ThK  force  that  creates  and  sustains  in  a  crisis  is 
not,  according  to  some  authorities,  quite  the  same 
that  is  wanted  in  time  of  ordinary  routine  to  con- 
tinue and  preserve ;  and,  yet,  much  of  the  foresight, 
energy  and  devotedness  that  marked  the  work  of 
the  sisters  during  the  Civil  War  was  shown  in  the 
years  following  that  period,  when  their  labors  were 
no  less  strenuous,  though  they  were  directed  in 
ways  of  peace.  Indeed,  it  is  a  question  whether 
anything  worth  while  in  the  way  of  upbuilding  can 
be  done  without  the  qualities  that  are,  in  a  sense, 
heroic.  It  was,  then,  in  the  spirit  of  a  Hilda  of 
Whitby,  a  Gertrude  of  Helfta,  a  Hildegard  of  Ru- 
pertsberg,  that  Mother  Angela  and  her  co-laborers, 
after  the  storm-and-stress  foundation  years  of  the 
community  were  over,  carried  on  the  work  of  edu- 
cation at  St.  Mary's. 

There  was  from  the  beginning  a  purpose  in  view. 
Nothing  was  added  to  the  curriculum  or  taken 

114 


BEXD  OF  RIVER  AT  ST.  MARY'S.— APPROACH   TO 
THE  ACADEM] 


In  Ways  of  Peace. 


S  *  4 


The  force  that  creates  and  is 

not,  according  to  some  authorities,  quite  the  same 
that  is  wanted  in  time  of  ordinary  routine  to  con- 
tinue and  preserve ;  and,  yet,  much  of  the  foresight, 
energgTa9^K(te9|^dii?^ftj^tTi^af^e^^t}i|  work^of 
the  sisters  during  the  Qki3aV%a^'3sRSts  shown  in  the 
years  following  that  period,  when  their  lal^  •'-  'vere 
no  less  strenuous,   thoiip'h   thrv  w^r^   ■  in 

ways  o 

anything  worth  while  \\\  the  way  of  upbuilding  can 
be  done  without  the  qualities  that  are,  in  a  sense, 
heroic.  It  was,  then,  in  the  spirit  of  a  Hilda  of 
Whitby,  a  Gertrude  of  Helfta,  a  Hildegard  of  Ru- 
pertsberg,  that  Mother  Angela  and  her  co-laborers, 
after  ihe  storm-and-stress  foundation  years  of  the 
community  were  over,  carr^"-^^  ^n  the  work  of  edu- 
cation at  St.  Mary's. 

There  was  from  the  beginning  a  purpose  in  view. 
Nothing  was  added  to  the  curriculum  or  taken 

114 


In  Ways  o^  Pe:ac^  115 

therefrom  without  a  far-reaching  reason,  and  to 
this  fact  the  course  of  training  owed  in  later  times 
its  stability  as  well  as  its  symmetry  of  development. 
Ideals  must  be  personal  before  they  become  com- 
munal, it  is  true,  but  "ideas  become  fruitful  and 
productive  of  good  only  when  they  are  embodied 
in  institutions";  these  words  of  Bishop  Spalding's 
have  the  support  of  experience.  Mother  Angela, 
as  we  have  said,  was  ahead  of  her  times  in  her  ideas 
of  education  for  young  women,  and  many  of  the 
notions  advanced  to-day  as  new  by  educators  were 
embodied  in  the  plans  outlined  in  the  first  days  of 
the  community,  and  taught  and  emphasized  by  her 
in  word  and  deed  all  through  the  years  of  her  active 
career  as  Superior.  Entering  into  the  teaching 
principles  of  the  Congregation,  they  derived  a  spe- 
cial force,  and  are  at  present  fruitful  of  even  better 
results  than  Mother  Angela  herself  dreamed  would 
be  the  outcome.  In  the  prospectus  for  1866,  one 
sees  the  beginnings  of  every  department  of  St. 
Mary's  present  educational  system,  and  whether 
one  considers  the  systematic  preparation  of  the  sis- 
ters for  the  work  of  teaching  or  the  training  of  the 
pupils  under  their  care,  one  must  admire  the  plan 
which  made  its  later  development  possible. 


116  A  Story  oi^  Fii^ty  Ye:ars 

The  chronology  of  this  period,  1865  to  1880, 
opens  with  the  record  of  a  blessed  event,  the  found- 
ing of  Our  Lady's  Journal,  the  Ave  Maria,  and  St. 
Mary's  claims  a  small  share  in  the  honor  of  the 
event  through  Mother  Angela's  brief  term  as  assist- 
ant to  the  Very  Reverend  Father  Sorin,  founder 
and  first  editor.  June  of  that  year,  1865,  found  the 
Httle  community  at  St.  Mary's  out  of  debt,  where- 
upon it  was  immediately  decided  by  the  Chapter  of 
Administration  to  go  into  debt  again  by  erecting 
a  music  hall,  a  steam-house  and  an  addition  to  the 
presbytery, — an  outlay  that  was  justified  by  the 
prosperous  condition  of  the  school,  which  in  those 
years  averaged  two  hundred  and  fifty  pupils. 
Within  five  years,  the  Academy  wing,  running 
south  from  the  music  hall,  and  a  new  laundry  build- 
ing, were  found  necessary,  thus  testifying  to  the 
general  progress  of  the  institution.  The  course  of 
studies  was  advanced  for  that  time,  and  the  music 
department,  in  both  the  science  and  the  art  of  music, 
was  exceptionally  fine.  As  early  as  1865  and  1866, 
we  find  record  of  prizes  for  thorough-bass  and  mu- 
sical composition.  Lectures  by  distinguished  visi- 
tors and  the  Reverend  Fathers  and  Professors  at 
Notre  Dame  were  among  the  advantages  then  of- 


In  Ways  of  Peace:  117 

fered;  and  the  annals  of  the  community  note,  in 
particular,  lectures  on  politeness  by  Professor  How- 
ard, now  Judge  Howard,  a  distinguished  member 
of  the  Indiana  Bar. 

The  brick  and  mortar  age  of  an  institution  is 
not  usually  connected  with  highest  ideals  in  the  cul- 
tivation and  dissemination  of  art,  and  yet  St. 
Mary's  had  its  dream  of  becoming  an  art  centre 
long  before  the  purpose  took  definite  shape.  The 
collection  of  art-treasures  really  began  before  the 
Academy  was  furnished  with  what  might  be  termed 
the  necessaries,  but  the  influence  of  this  movement 
was  strong  in  the  forming  of  an  atmosphere  which 
made  for  culture,  and  which  perhaps  would  never 
have  been  but  for  this  timely  untimeliness.  For 
nearly  ten  years,  beginning  in  1871,  Eliza  Allen 
Starr  lent  the  inspiration  of  her  gifted  mind  and 
heart  to  the  formation  of  the  young  sisters  who 
showed  artistic  talent,  and  the  methods  then  in- 
augurated in  the  art  department  of  the  Academy 
were  reduced  to  principles  which  guided  the  sisters 
in  their  teaching  of  art  in  all  the  schools  of  the  com- 
munity. This  period,  too,  was  especially  rich  in 
religious  vocations  among  the  graduates,  giving  to 
the  community  devoted  members  who  passed  on 


118  A  Story  op  Fifty  Y^ars 

the  traditions  of  the  early  years  of  fervor  and  self- 
sacrifice  to  the  increasing  number  of  subjects,  as 
well  as  to  the  many  who  call  St.  Mary's  Alma 
Mater. 

An  election  of  officers  in  1870  resulted  in  the  fol- 
lowing able  staff:  Mother  M.  Angela,  Mother 
Charles,  Mother  Eusebia,  Mother  Ascension  and 
Mother  Augusta.  After  two  years,  Mother  Com- 
passion took  the  place  of  Mother  Ascension,  who 
went  to  Notre  Dame,  and  Mother  Annunciata  was 
appointed  to  the  post  left  vacant  by  the  sudden 
death  of  Mother  Eusebia,  whose  particular  charge 
was  the  Academy, — a  charge  administered  with 
exceptional  zeal  and  ability.  In  1875,  Mother 
Augusta  was  sent  to  open  an  Academy  and  a  hospi- 
tal in  Salt  Lake  City,  and  her  place  as  stewardess 
at  the  Mother  House  was  filled  by  Mother  M.  Col- 
ette. The  Council  had  but  one  other  change  until 
1882,  and  that  was  the  substitution  in  1878  of 
Mother  M.  Genevieve  for  Mother  Charles,  who  as- 
sumed the  directress-ship  at  St.  Mary's,  Salt  Lake 
City,  in  place  of  Mother  M.  Augusta,  through 
whose  efforts  the  Utah  foundation  had  met  with 
gratifying  success. 

The  spirit  of  progress  which  characterized  the 


COMMUNITY  CHAPEL. 


118  A  Story  of  Fifty  Yi^ars 

ttie  traciJiJuCi  of  ttie  early  years  of  fervor  and  seif- 
sacrifjce  to  the  increasing  number  of  subjects,  as 
well  as  to  the  many  who  call  St.  Mary's  Alma 
Mater. 

An  election  of  officers  't?  1R70  ref  iHed  in  the  fol- 
low? ,  Mother 
usebia,  M  .cension  and 
Mother  Augusta.  After  two  years,  Mother  Coii, 
passion  took  the  place  of  Mother  Ascension,  who 
went  to  Notre  Dame,  and  Mother  Annunciata  was 
appointed  to  the  j^aSlKliaf«T\acai!lM^  the  sudden 
death  of  Mother  Eusebia,  wliose  particular  charge 
v.-^^  the  Academy, — a  charge  nfliiiirsi^tf^rprl  with 
rational  zeal  and  ability. 

>  rkpen  an  Academy  a; . 
tal  in  Salt  Lake  C  her  place  as  stewardess 

at  the  Mother  House  was  filled  by  Mother  M.  Col- 
ette. The  Council  had  but  one  other  change  until 
1882,  and  that  was  the  substitution  in  1878  of 
Mother  M.  Genevieve  for  Mother  Charles,  who  as- 
sumed the  directress  ship  at  St.  Mary's,  Salt  Lake 
City,  in  pl:ice  of  Mother  M.  Augusta,  through 
whose  efforts  the  Utah  foundation  had  met  with 
gratifying  success. 

The  spirit  of  progress  which  characterized  the 


>t 


^  In  Ways  of  P^ace:  119 

community  all  through  the  formative  years  was 
thoroughly  rational;  enthusiasm  did  not  falter  be- 
cause long  processes  had  to  precede  accomplish- 
ment ;  and  this  means  a  great  deal  in  works  of  edu- 
cation. To  kindle  a  fire  of  eagerness  to  know,  or 
to  awaken  a  love  for  the  higher  things,  calls  forth 
noble  efforts;  but  to  keep  on  rekindling  fires  of 
eagerness  and  reanimating  ardor,  is  what  counts  in 
the  training  of  youth.  A  right  idea  of  the  duty  of 
service  is  also  an  essential  to  success  in  educational 
work,  and  the  motto  of  the  Sisters  of  the  Holy 
Cross  in  those  days  might  have  been  these  words  of 
Sir  Philip  Sidney:  "To  what  purpose  should  our 
thoughts  be  directed  to  various  kinds  of  knowledge, 
unless  room  be  afforded  for  putting  it  into  practice 
so  that  public  advantage  may  be  the  result  ?" 

Sometimes  it  was  the  impossible  that  was  under- 
taken, and  the  results  only  proved  anew  the  blessing 
attached  to  simple  obedience.  Bishop  Spalding 
says :  "We  can  do  or  learn  to  do  whatever  with  all 
our  soul  we  desire  and  will  to  do" ;  and  it  was  this 
desire,  this  will,  that  made  the  efforts  of  the  sisters 
so  fruitful  as  regards  their  labors  in  their  own  men- 
tal equipment  and  the  training  of  their  students. 
Prayer  and  labor,  labor  and  prayer, — this  was  the 


120  A  Story  of  Fifty  Years 

programme  of  every  day  and  every  hour ;  and  work 
begun  for  God  and  persevered  in  for  His  sake  could 
not  fail  of  abundant  blessing. 

To  1875  belongs  the  addition  to  the  buildings  at 
St.  Mary's  of  the  cottage  occupied  for  several  years 
by  Mrs.  Piquette  (now  Mrs.  F.  Van  Dyke,  of  De- 
troit, Michigan),  later  used  as  an  infirmary  for  the 
students.  Its  charming  situation  near  the  river- 
bank  and  the  cosiness  of  the  little  place  endeared  it 
to  many,  and  even  the  new  St.  Joseph's  Hall,  with 
its  modern  conveniences,  will  not  make  the  alumnae 
forget  the  old  infirmary,  where  it  was  understood 
that  bread  and  jelly  had  power  to  alleviate  many  of 
the  ills  to  which  schoolgirl  spirits  are  heir. 

Two  special  features  of  the  community,  for  many 
years  peculiar  to  St.  Mary's,  are  the  summer-school 
and  the  scholasticate.  Many  years  before  the  Chau- 
tauqua movement,  generally  considered  initiatory 
of  the  summer-schools  now  so  common  throughout 
the  country,  vacation  classes  were  carried  on  at  St. 
Mary's;  regular  lecture  courses  were  given,  labor- 
atory and  class-work  prosecuted,  and  the  best  in 
pedagogics  inculcated  in  theory  and  practice.  The 
scholasticate,  according  to  the  Constitutions  of  the 
Sisters  of  the  Holy  Cross,  is  a  period  after  the  nov- 


In  Ways  o^  Pe^ac^  121 

iceship  and  before  the  final  vows,  extending  over 
several  years,  during  which  time  special  attention 
is  given  to  the  science  and  art  of  teaching.  This 
institution  has  ever  been  regarded  as  most  impor- 
tant, though  the  pressing  demands  for  sisters  at 
home  and  on  the  missions  not  infrequently  inter- 
fered with  its  functions,  leaving  to  the  summer- 
school  part  of  the  training  for  the  young  teachers. 
The  chapter  covering  this  stage  of  the  history 
of  St.  Mary's  seems  uneventful,  for  to  separate 
records  were  left  the  facts  having  to  do  with  the 
Civil  War,  and  also  those  bearing  on  the  official 
acts  of  administration;  but,  perhaps  of  a  convent, 
as  of  a  woman,  it  is  well  when  there  is  little  of 
history  to  record.  The  years,  however,  were  filled 
with  duties  and  hopes  and  fears.  There  were  dis- 
appointments and  losses.  But  the  memories  for  the 
most  part  are  fair;  they  hold  enshrined  faces  of 
loved  ones  and  words  of  helpful  counsel,  precious 
hours  in  the  chapel,  moments  of  holy  exaltation 
during  the  beautiful  Corpus  Christi  and  May  pro- 
cessions, or  the  solemn,  haunting  ceremonies  of 
the  Church.  And  though  this  era  leads  us  to  the 
community's  Silver  Jubilee,  1880,  out  of  the  un- 
written, unrecorded  past,  the  voices  of  those  gone 


122  A  Story  oi^  Fifty  Ye:ars 

before  speak  to  us  in  everything  about  us,  remind- 
ing us  that  we  are  heritors  of  a  sacred  legacy,  and 
that  our  one  hope  must  ever  be,  as  theirs  was — the 
Holy  Cross. 


An  Exemplar  of  Faith  and  Zeal. 

*  4t  4t 

If  we  trace  heredity  in  the  mind  of  man  and  the 
influence  of  racial  spirit  in  his  emotional  character- 
istics, we  may  also,  and  with  quite  as  much  definite- 
ness,  map  out  the  lineage  of  his  soul.  There  are 
certain  traits  of  the  spiritual  life  which  mark  the 
followers  of  particular  schools  of  sanctity,  and  kin- 
ship of  soul  not  unfrequently  discovers  itself  in  re- 
mote branches  of  spiritual  families  where  no  rela- 
tionship was  to  be  expected.  Thus  do  we  like  to 
think  that  Father  Edward  Sorin,  whose  name  is 
the  centre  of  interest  all  through  these  humble  rec- 
ords, was  in  the  spiritual  order  a  lineal  descendant 
of  Francis,  the  dear  Saint  of  Assisi.  In  an  instruc- 
tion which  the  venerated  Father  General  once  gave 
in  the  little  chapel  of  Loreto  on  the  holy  man  of 
Umbria,  he  said:  "Do  you  know  what  I  consider 
the  secret  of  his  life  ?  It  was  his  loving  heart.  He 
became  a  seraphic  man  because  his  heart  was  a 
loving  one.    It  is  in  proportion  as  we  love  anything 

123 


124  A  Story  of  Fifty  Years 

that  we  devote  our  efforts  to  it."  And  if  here  we 
have  the  keynote  to  the  Hfe  of  St.  Francis,  we  have 
also  the  keynote  to  the  life  of  Father  Sorin.  Love 
of  God  filled  his  heart,  and  of  it  were  born  a  great 
faith,  an  untiring  zeal. 

The  expression  of  his  faith,  his  zeal,  is  the  com- 
munity which  he  founded  in  this  country,  and  the 
history  of  his  life  is  embodied  in  the  history  of  the 
Congregation  of  the  Holy  Cross.  The  dates  that 
outline  his  career  are  not  many.  February  6th, 
1814,  marked  his  birth  at  Ahiulle,  near  Laval, 
France,  and  he  was  always  a  Frenchman,  loyal  in 
his  allegiance  to  his  mother-country,  while  sincerely 
devoted  to  the  interests  of  his  adopted  land.  May 
27th,  1838,  was  the  day  of  his  elevation  to  the 
priesthood,  and  on  June  9th  of  that  year,  he  offered 
for  the  first  time  the  Chalice  of  Salvation,  which 
was  the  stay  of  his  soul  through  the  long  years  of 
a  busy  and  selfless  life.  In  1840,  he  entered  the 
society  of  which,  in  1868,  he  became  the  Superior 
General,  an  office  which  he  held  until  his  death  in 
1893.  In  1842  he  claimed  the  United  States  as  the 
home  of  his  adoption,  and  here  was  the  scene  of 
his  labors,  his  struggles,  his  defeats  and  his  tri- 
umphs; here,  too,  it  was  that  he  exercised  those 


An  Exemplar  of  Faith  and  Zeal        125 

powers  of  mind  and  heart  which  so  greatly  dis- 
tinguished him. 

It  is  hard  to  know  of  which  to  speak  first,  his 
faith  or  his  zeal;  indeed  they  cannot  be  spoken  of 
apart,  for  faith  was  the  soul  of  his  every  action. 
Intellectual  power  is  universally  recognized,  and 
each  triumph  it  achieves  over  material  forces  is 
received  with  acclamation;  yet,  despite  this  very 
natural  glorification  of  the  mental  faculties,  and 
despite  the  large  measure  of  admiration  which  we 
must  perforce  accord  to  the  prudence,  foresight, 
organizing  power  and  executive  abilities  of  Father 
Sorin  in  the  upbuilding  of  Notre  Dame  and  St. 
Mary's,  we  must  still  believe  that 

More  things  are  wrought  by  prayer 
Than  this  world  dreams  of. 

He  himself  attributed  to  prayer  any  success  that 
crowned  his  eflForts,  and  forty  years  after  he  had 
made  the  consecration  of  his  life-work  in  the  New 
World  to  the  Blessed  Virgin,  he  wrote :  "From  that 
moment  I  do  not  remember  a  single  instance  of  a 
serious  doubt  in  my  mind  as  to  the  final  result  of 
our  endeavors."  And  he  added:  "Before  I  lose 
faith  in  prayer,  I  shall  certainly  lose  my  mind." 
It  is  not  always  easy  to  understand  the  workings 


126  A  Story  o?  Fifty  Ye^ars  ^ 

of  faith  in  a  soul  animated  with  its  spirit.  Most  of 
us  cannot  enter  perfectly  into  the  feeling  of  one 
who  finds  God  in  everything;  who  rests  all  hope  of 
success  on  Him;  who  accepts  good  and  evil  alike 
as  coming  from  His  hand.  The  point  of  view  from 
which  such  souls  make  their  observations  is  so  far 
removed  from  that  taken  by  the  world,  that  a  true 
application  of  them  is  rare,  and  what  is  highest 
wisdom  in  their  eyes  is  consummate  folly  when 
viewed  from  an  earthly  standpoint.  Here  is  an  in- 
stance in  point : 

In  1879,  when  Notre  Dame,  the  pride  of  his 
heart,  lay  a  heap  of  smoldering  ruins,  Father  Sorin 
received  as  a  gift  a  check  for  one  thousand  dollars. 
Money  was  a  necessity,  and  as  he  looked  at  the 
paper  he  could  not  but  have  thought  how  profitably 
it  might  be  used.  But,  animated  by  faith,  he  real- 
ized, with  the  Psalmist,  that  "unless  the  Lord  build 
the  house,  they  labor  in  vain  that  build  it,"  and  the 
money  was  sent  to  the  saintly  Cardinal  Bonaparte, 
in  Rome,  that  Masses  might  be  ofTered  for  the  souls 
in  Purgatory,  and  their  aid  secured  in  the  work  of 
rebuilding  the  college. 

As  we  look  back  at  the  simple  faith  of  St.  Fran- 
cis, the  soft  mists  that  hung  over  the  Umbrian 


An  Exemplar  of  Faith  and  Z^kl,        127 

slopes  invest  the  actions  of  that  man  of  God  with 
a  certain  charm;  the  Fioretti  that  bloomed  in  the 
soil  of  the  thirteenth  century  are  fragrant  and  fair 
in  their  setting  of  the  past ;  but  there  is  more  prose 
than  poetry  in  an  act  of  faith  that  in  these  our  times 
spells  renunciation.    Sacrifice  is  the  test  of  faith. 

Of  Father  General's  zeal  there  is  much  to  say. 
To  see  what  he  accomplished  in  his  half  century 
of  missionary  life,  one  would  suppose  that  he  was 
eminently  a  man  of  affairs,  that  he  was  active, 
eager,  ambitious ;  and  he  was  all  three ;  active,  inas- 
much as  he  never  wearied  of  importuning  Heaven 
for  help;  eager  in  so  far  that  he  could  never  abide 
indifference  in  the  cause  of  religion  and  education; 
ambitious,  yes,  his  soul  was  full  of  ambition  for  the 
honor  and  glory  of  God  and  His  Blessed  Mother. 
In  the  world  of  everyday  duty,  also,  we  find  him 
active  in  planning,  eager  in  executing  his  plans  and 
ambitious  for  their  full  measure  of  success.  But 
it  was  the  end  that  ennobled  his  quiet  activity,  his 
calm  eagerness,  his  impersonal  ambition.  One  could 
not  associate  his  courtliness,  his  dignity,  his  priest- 
liness,  with  anything  of  the  small,  the  sordid.  What 
in  another  man  might  seem  like  avarice,  in  Father 
Sorin  was  zeal  for  God's  work, — zeal  prompted  by 


128  A  Story  of  I^ifty  Years 

an  ardent  yet  serene  faith.  The  difference  between 
great  and  little  men,  Goethe  says,  is  in  the  amount 
of  energy  applied  to  their  undertakings;  and  if 
Father  Sorin  is  measured  either  by  this  standard  or 
by  his  achievements,  he  must  be  looked  upon  as  a 
great  man. 

It  is  true  that  we  may  not  be  just  and  honest 
when  we  inordinately  admire;  but  surely,  fulness 
of  knowledge  entitles  the  Sisters  of  the  Holy  Cross 
to  the  enjoyment  of  the  "dear  delights  of  enthu- 
siasm" as  regards  their  beloved  Father,  without 
their  having  to  plead  guilty  to  the  charge  of  inor- 
dinate admiration.  From  the  fulness  of  knowledge 
it  is  that  his  Hfe-work  is  outlined  in  these  pages; 
and  even  the  meagre  outlines  show  it  to  have  been 
a  full  life,  full  as  to  the  number  and  extent  of  under- 
takings as  well  as  actual  accomplishment. 

In  every  life  that  is,  in  a  sense,  public,  there  is 
one  special  aim  to  which  a  man's  efforts  are  de- 
voted ;  on  it  are  focused  his  soul's  highest  powers ; 
but  a  hundred  subsidiary  interests  receive  his  atten- 
tion, interests  which,  however  divergent  their  lines 
seem  to  be,  are  finally  centred  on  life's  one  dearest 
object;  and,  indeed,  in  the  direction  and  concentra- 
tion of  these  minor  interests  is  his  devotion  to  the 


VIEW  FROM  WEST  ORCHARD 


128  A  Story  of  Fifty  Years 

an  ardent  yet  serene  faith.  The  difference  between 
great  and  little  men,  Goethe  says,  is  in  the  amount 
of  energy  applied  to  their  undertakings;  and  if 
Father  Sorin  is  measured  either  by  this  standard  or 
by  his  achievements,  he  must  be  looked  upon  as  a 
great  man. 

It  is  true  that  we  may  not  be  just  and  honest 
when  we  inordinately  admire;   but 
of  knowledge  entitles  the  Sisters 
to  the  enjoyment  of  the  "dear  dchghts  oi  enthu- 
siasm" as  regards  their  beloved  Father,  without 
their  ha^^ing  tf^{>M§ac^?ft^ t>^P^ ^^M^ge  of  inor- 
dinate admiration.    From  the  iuh'  ~-  ■  i  !  nn^Al^vlcr^ 
it  is  that  his  life-work  is  outhnc^ 
and  even  the  meagre  outlines  show  it  to  ha. 
a  full  life,  full  as  to  the  number  and  extent  of  under- 
takings as  well  as  actual  accomplishment. 

In  every  life  that  is,  in  a  sense,  public,  there  is 
one  special  aim  to  which  a  man's  efforts  are  de- 
voted; on  it  are  focused  his  soul's  highest  powers; 
but  a  hundred  subsidiary  interests  receive  his  atten- 
tion, interests  which,  however  divergent  their  lines 
seem  to  be,  are  finally  centred  on  life's  one  dearest 
object;  and,  indeed,  in  the  direction  and  concentra- 
tion of  these  minor  interests  is  his  devotion  to  the 


An  Ex^mpIvAr  of  Faith  and  Z^ai,        129 

main  object  best  shown.  The  earnestness  with 
which  this  end  is  sought  is  commonly  termed  en- 
thusiasm; in  the  science  of  the  spiritual  life  it  is 
known  as  zeal. 

Consecrated  to  the  work  of  the  sacred  ministry, 
in  the  Congregation  of  the  Holy  Cross,  Father 
Sorin's  one  object  in  life  was  to  promote  the  honor 
and  glory  of  God  through  his  community.  That 
was  his  soul's  desire,  and  as  subsidiary  interests 
came  anything  that  might  even  remotely  affect  the 
cause  to  which  his  life  was  dedicated.  As  a  con- 
sequence, zeal  for  souls  was  one  of  his  strongest 
characteristics,  and  his  efforts  in  their  regard  were 
untiring.  To  lead  young  hearts  to  God,  to  train 
them  up  in  the  way  of  virtue,  to  plant  the  seed  and 
foster  the  sweet  blossoms  of  love  for  the  Mother  of 
God, — these  he  considered  privileges  higher  than 
those  conferred  by  earth's  patents  of  nobility.  It 
was  this  zeal  for  souls  that  moved  him  to  establish 
at  Notre  Dame  and  St.  Mary's  the  Associations  of 
Notre  Dame  des  Victoires,  of  Our  Lady  of  Lourdes, 
of  Our  Lady  of  Good  Counsel,  of  Prayer  for  the 
Clergy,  and  of  Prayer  for  Peace.  They  were  all 
means  to  a  great  end.  The  founding  of  the  Ave 
Maria  was  one  of  his  dearest  projects,  and  was  ever 

9— 


130  A  Story  of  Fifty  Years 

the  object  of  his  soHcitude,  even  when  to  other 
hands  the  editorship  had  been  confided.  Father 
Sorin's  interest  in  matters  educational  is  shown  in 
his  work  as  Founder  of  Notre  Dame  and  St.  Mary's, 
and  that  his  knowledge  of  the  needs  of  the  times 
was  practical,  rather  than  merely  theoretical,  may 
be  seen  in  his  letters  to  the  teachers,  and  his  in- 
structions in  the  teachers*  meetings  and  to  the 
Councils  of  Administration.  Fenelon  and  Dupan- 
loup  embodied  in  their  works  the  best  to  be  found 
in  modern  pedagogy;  these  were  his  guides,  and 
whether  the  question  before  him  was  one  of  choice 
of  text-book  or  the  value  of  a  proposed  disciplinary 
measure.  Father  Sorin's  decision  was  always  based 
on  sound  psychologic  principles.  He  believed  in 
encouragement,  and  had  the  power  of  inspiring  the 
young  to  noble  effort.  His  appreciation  of  merit 
on  the  part  of  others  was  notable,  and  his  generous 
praise  was  proof  of  a  greatness  of  heart.  In  recog- 
nition of  his  work  in  educational  lines,  the  Minister 
of  Public  Instruction  in  France  conferred  on  him, 
in  1888,  the  insignia  of  an  Officer  of  Public  Instruc- 
tion. Surely  no  one  was  ever  more  deserving  of 
the  violet  ribbon  and  golden  palms. 

Of  Father  Sorin's  work  as  founder,  organizer 


An  Exempi^ar  of  Faith  and  Zeal        131 

and  administrator  we  have  spoken  in  preceding 
chapters,  in  outlining  the  process  of  growth  in  the 
early  days  of  Holy  Cross;  there  remains  only  to 
recall  his  labors  in  what  St.  Gregory  the  Great 
styles  the  art  of  arts,  namely,  the  government  of 
souls. 

To  him  the  Congregation  of  the  Sisters  of  the 
Holy  Cross  was  very  dear,  and  the  spiritual  inter- 
ests of  all  its  members  called  forth  his  most  earnest 
efforts.  As  has  been  said  elsewhere,  he  gave  per- 
sonal attention  to  the  formulation  of  their  Rules 
and  Constitutions,  taught  them  himself  the  meth- 
ods of  meditation  best  suited  to  their  needs,  gave 
instructions  and  points  of  meditation ;  and  it  was  in 
these  familiar  discourses  that  he  imbued  his  spirit- 
ual children  with  the  faith  that  burned  within  him. 
The  blessed  in  Heaven  were  not  to  him  so  many 
abstractions, — they  were  real.  The  simple  faith 
of  a  St.  Francis  did  not  with  him  need  a  certain 
stage-setting  of  time  and  place  to  make  it  compre- 
hensible. A  miracle  on  the  banks  of  the  St.  Joseph 
River  would  not  have  been  more  of  a  wonder  to 
him  than  is  the  story  of  the  wolf  of  Gubbio  to  us. 
In  his  mind  the  nineteenth  and  thirteenth  centu- 
ries were  identical  as  regards  God's  manifestations. 
The  atmosphere  surrounding  him  was  too  rare  to 


132  A  Story  of  Fifty  Years 

support  the  skepticism  of  to-day;  and  it  was  this 
spirit  of  faith  which  he  strove  to  engender  in  the 
hearts  of  all  who  called  him  Father. 

There  is  not  a  department  at  St.  Mary's  but  has 
felt  Father  Sorin's  blessed  influence,  and  whether 
one  whispers  an  Ave  at  the  shrine  of  "Our  Lady  of 
Peace,"  or  kneels  in  the  little  cemetery  to  breathe 
the  De  Profundis,  ever  and  always  is  his  name 
blended  with  the  thoughts  that  well  up  in  these  hal- 
lowed places;  and  Loreto!  one  could  not  count  the 
hours  he  spent  there,  in  the  stilly  eventide,  when 
only  the  light  of  the  sanctuary  lamp  pierced  the 
shadows,  or  again  in  the  early  hours  of  dawn  when 
he  would  seek  that  sweet  haven,  there  to  prepare 
for  the  day's  great  act,  the  Holy  Sacrifice. 

Truly  there  was  prophecy  in  his  paraphrase  of 
the  valiant  Greek's  words:  "When  I  die,  I  shall 
leave  two  daughters  to  perpetuate  my  memory,  St. 
Mary's  and  Notre  Dame."  And  as  long  as  there 
shall  remain  a  Sister  of  the  Holy  Cross,  the  mem- 
ory of  Father  Sorin  will  be  cherished ;  and  in  these 
days  of  Jubilee,  we  who  lovingly  remember  him  of 
great-hearted  faith  and  untiring  zeal,  hope  and  pray 
that  he,  the  "mirror  of  constant  faith,  revered  and 
mourned,"  may  intercede  for  us  that  our  faith  fail 
not  and  that  our  zeal  may  more  and  more  abound. 


132  A  vStory  of  Fifty  Years 

support  the  skepticism  of  to-day;  and  it  was  this 
spirit  of  faith  which  he  strove  to  engender  in  the 
hearts  of  all  who  called  him  Father. 

There  is  not  a  department  at  St.  Mary's  but  has 
felt  Father  Sorin's  blessed  influence,  and  whether 
one  whispers  an  Ave  at  the  shrine  of  "Our  Lady  of 
Peac: 
the  De  i 

lowed  places ;  and  Loreto !  one  could  not  count  the 
hours  he  spent  there,  in  the  stilly  eventide,  when 
only  the  light  of  the  sanctuary  lamp  pierced  the 
shadows,  or  again  in  th^4aDl5*slisiifiri3:«sifedawn  when 
he  would  seek  that  sweet  * 

T: 

iruly  there  was  prophecy  in  his  paraphrase  of 
the  valiant  Greek's  words:  "When  I  ilic,  I  shall 
leave  two  daughters  to  perpetuate  my  memory,  St. 
Mary's  and  Notre  Dame."  And  as  long  as  there 
shall  remain  a  Sister  of  the  Holy  Cross,  the  mem- 
ory of  Father  Sorin  will  be  cherished;  and  in  these 
days  ;ee,  we  who  lovingly  remember  him  of 

great-hearted  faith  and  untiring  zeal,  hope  and  pray 
that  he,  the  "mirror  of  constant  faith,  revered  and 
mourned,"  may  intercede  for  us  that  our  faith  fail 
not  and  that  our  zeal  may  more  and  more  abound. 


MotheriAngela. 

4t  4t  * 

A  RKiviGious  community  is  not  exactly  like  any 
other  corporate  body.    The  individuals  blend  more 
perfectly  into  a  harmonious  whole,  and  in  a  Congre- 
gation like  that  of  the  Sisters  of  the  Holy  Cross  in 
which  there  is  no  distinction  of  choir  and  lay,  the 
true  ideal  of  a  Christian  democracy  is  to  be  found. 
All  work  together  for  the  general  good,  the  scope 
of  individual  effort  being  largely  regulated  by  that 
fundamental  principle  of  the  religious  life — obedi- 
ence.   Catholic  sisterhoods,  however,  are  not  excep- 
tions to  the  universal  laws  of  human  affairs ;  rather 
do  we  find  in  them  the  higher  fulfilment  of  the 
law ;  hence,  when  a  religious  gives  evidence  of  un- 
usual gifts  of  mind,  as  a  rule,  not  only  is  oppor- 
tunity given  her,  but  also  the  encouragement  and 
support  of  her  community. 

An  illustration  in  proof  of  this  is  to  be  found  in 
the  life  of  Mother  Mary  of  St.  Angela,  virtually 
the  founder  of  St.  Mary's,  who  for  more  than  thirty 

133 


134  A  Story  o^  Fifty  Years 

years  governed  the  growing  community,  formed  its 
members  and  directed  its  manifold  energies.  Of 
this  vahant  woman  much  has  been  written  in  a  frag- 
mentary way,  and  very  much  more  of  interest  and 
edification  might  be  written;  recognition  of  her 
great  achievements,  sincere  and  grateful  affection, 
the  full  sympathy  of  common  aims,  and  thorough 
appreciation  of  her  remarkable  gifts,  are  not  want- 
ing among  those  to  whom  she  was  an  example  and 
an  inspiration.  But  the  time  has  not  come  for  a 
formal  "life."  The  biography  of  Mother  Angela 
belongs  to  a  later  period,  when  the  years  shall  have 
given  the  right  perspective,  not  for  an  effective  pic- 
ture only,  but  for  a  true  picture,  for  Mother  An- 
gela was,  to  employ  an  over-used  term,  in  advance 
of  her  times  and  larger  than  most  of  her  contem- 
poraries. Our  sketch  can  be,  at  best,  but  a  partial 
portrait. 

Mother  Angela's  ancestry  in  this  country  takes 
us  back  to  1765,  when  Neal  Gillespie  came  from 
Scotland  and  settled  in  Delaware.  There,  at  Wil- 
mington, he  married  Eleanor  Dougherty,  and,  in 
1778,  he  and  his  family  moved  to  what  is  now 
Washington  County,  Pennsylvania,  across  the  Mo- 
nongahela  River  from  Brownsville,  where  he  built 


Mother  Ange:l  A  135 

a  home  on  "Indian  Hill."  One  of  his  daughters 
was  the  wife  of  Hugh  Boyle  and  the  mother  of 
Maria  Boyle,  who  became  the  wife  of  Thomas 
Ewing,  of  Lancaster,  Ohio.  His  son,  Neal  Gilles- 
pie, Jr.,  married  Elizabeth  Purcell,  and  of  the  seven 
children  born  to  this  marriage  we  are  especially 
concerned  with  two,  Maria  Louise,  the  eldest 
daughter,  the  wife  of  Ephraim  Lyon  Blaine  and 
mother  of  James  G.  Blaine ;  and  the  eldest  son,  John 
Purcell  Gillespie,  who,  on  February  12,  1821,  mar- 
ried Mary  Madeleine  Miers,  the  daughter  of  Henry 
Miers  and  Rachel  Duffield.  Two  sons  and  three 
daughters  were  the  fruit  of  this  marriage;  among 
them,  Eliza  Maria,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  born 
February  21,  1824;  Neal  Henry,  who  became  a 
priest  of  the  Congregation  of  Holy  Cross,  and 
Mary  Rebecca,  the  wife  of  Philemon  Beecher 
Ewing,  one  of  whose  daughters  is  Sister  Mary 
Agnes  of  the  Holy  Cross.  Neal  Gillespie,  Jr.,  built 
for  his  son,  John  P.,  and  his  daughter,  Maria,  a 
double  house  south  of  his  home  on  the  Indian  Hill 
farm,  and  here  it  was  that  Mother  Angela  as  a 
child  was  the  companion  and  close  friend  of  her 
cousin,  James  Gillespie  Blaine. 
When  Eliza  was  twelve  years  old  her  father  died, 


136  A  Story  o^  Fi]?ty  Ye:ars 

and  two  years  later  the  family  took  up  their  home 
at  Lancaster,  Ohio,  where,  in  1841,  Mrs.  Gillespie 
was  married  to  William  Phelan.  The  education  of 
her  children  was  a  matter  of  solicitude  to  Mrs.  Phe- 
lan, and  Eliza  was  entrusted  to  the  Dominican  Sis- 
ters at  Somerset,  Ohio,  where  she  formed  an  attach- 
ment for  the  white-robed  Daughters  of  St.  Dominic 
that  lasted  all  her  life.  She  also  spent  some  happy 
years,  the  concluding  ones  of  her  school-life,  with 
the  Visitandines  at  Georgetown,  D.  C,  where,  we 
are  told,  she  was  a  general  favorite,  because  of  her 
charming  personality  and  brilliant  talents. 

Then  came  the  crucial  period,  through  which 
every  one  endowed  with  a  perception  of  all  that  life 
holds,  must  pass.  For  some,  circumstances  govern 
life,  for  others,  life  governs  circumstances;  and  it 
is  not  hard  to  understand  that  Eliza  Gillespie  be- 
longed to  those  who  know  and  feel  that  man  is  mas- 
ter of  his  fate.  In  the  years  that  followed  her 
school-life  she  took  a  prominent  place  in  society 
with  a  graciousness  that  charmed  all,  and  both  in 
Washington  and  at  Lancaster  made  many  friends. 
Always  full  of  energy  as  she  was,  we  are  not  sur- 
prised to  learn  that  she  was  active  in  social  affairs, 
entered  into  charitable  movements  with  enthusi- 


Mother  Angsi.a  137 

asm,  taught  poor  children,  sewed  for  the  several 
institutions  of  charity  in  the  city,  and  was  a  leader 
in  the  many  activities  of  the  Church.  The  social 
incidents  of  those  times  in  which  she  took  part  read 
strangely  to  us,  who  can  hardly  imagine  James  G. 
Blaine  arrayed  as  an  Indian,  or  General  Ewing  in 
kilts  as  a  "Highland  Archer,''  or  General  W.  T. 
Sherman  as  the  hero  of  a  conquest  over  a  bat  that 
threatened  to  disturb  the  pleasure  of  a  party  of 
young  folk. 

But  Eliza  Gillespie  was  not  satisfied  with  the 
social  round,  even  though  it  held  elements  of  the 
useful.  Her  soul  was  awake,  not  to  the  wonder 
of  a  world  always  fair  to  the  young,  but  to  a  world 
that  enters  seldom  into  the  dreams  of  youth.  She 
heard  a  voice  that  called  her,  not  to  a  life  of  pleas- 
ure, but  to  one  of  renunciation,  to  a  career,  not  of 
power,  and  honor,  but  of  humble  and  obscure  ser- 
vice. She  had  seen  the  splendors  of  the  dreams 
with  which  the  imagination  fills  the  soul  of  youth, 
but  she  knew  they  were  but  dreams;  and  with  a 
joy  the  world  knows  not  of,  she  emerged  from  a 
spiritual  crisis,  of  which  those  nearest  and  dearest 
to  her  knew  nothing,  and  announced  her  intention 
of  dedicating  herself  to  the  service  of  God  as  a 


138  A  Story  of  Fifty  Ye;ars 

Sister  of  Mercy.  Once  the  determination  was 
reached  there  was  no  struggle,  no  work  of  read- 
justment, for  she  had  never  really  felt  herself  at 
one  with  the  life  around  her. 

She  decided  to  enter  a  convent  of  her  chosen 
order  in  Chicago,  and  with  her  beloved  mother, 
who,  like  another  St.  Anne,  wished  to  accompany 
her  daughter  to  the  temple  of  dedication,  she  set 
forth  from  Lancaster,  having  arranged  to  stop  at 
Notre  Dame  to  say  farewell  to  her  brother  Neal, 
then  preparing  for  the  holy  priesthood.  And  she 
little  dreamed  that  God  was  about  to  set  His  seal 
on  this  beautiful  affection,  and  that  she  was  to  be 
more  than  ever  a  sister  to  the  young  levite. 

The  first  person  the  travellers  met  at  Notre  Dame 
was  Father  Sorin,  and  as  his  keen  glance  fell  upon 
Miss  Gillespie,  a  something  prophetic  must  have 
stirred  his  soul,  and  his  words  in  the  first  moment 
of  conversation  must  have  communicated  to  her  a 
vague  sense  of  a  mysterious  soul-influence,  for  she 
unnecessarily  emphasized  the  fact  that  she  was  on 
her  way  to  Chicago  to  become  a  Sister  of  Mercy. 
How  true  it  is  that  an  ordinary  action  may  change 
the  whole  current  of  life!  Eliza  Gillespie,  in  fol- 
lowing the  dictates  of  natural  affection,  was  obey- 


Mothe:r  Ange:i:.a  139 

ing  a  power  that  was  destined  to  influence  number- 
less souls.  With  St.  Paul,  one  must  exclaim,  "Who 
hath  known  the  mind  of  the  Lord,  or  who  hath  been 
His  counsellor?" 

Further  conversation  with  Miss  Gillespie  con- 
vinced Father  Sorin  that  this  chosen  soul  was  des- 
tined for  Holy  Cross,  and  he  explained  to  her  the 
object  of  the  Congregation  and  its  needs.  But  in 
order  to  avoid  precipitancy  in  deciding,  he  urged 
her  to  spend  a  few  days  at  the  convent  in  Bertrand 
in  prayer  and  silence,  during  which  time  he,  too, 
would  pray  to  know  the  Divine  will  in  her  regard. 
Mrs.  Phelan  naturally  wished  Eliza  to  be  near  her 
brother,  who  was  tenderly  attached  to  his  sister, 
but  both  expressed  their  hope  only  in  prayer.  At 
the  close  of  the  retreat  Miss  Gillespie  announced 
her  decision  to  take  her  stand  with  the  Sisters  of 
the  Holy  Cross,  and  this  after  having  seen  the 
privations  and  the  hardships  that  made  up  their 
humble  life.  It  was  the  heroic  in  her  that  was  ap- 
pealed to  and  it  was  the  heroic  that  nobly  responded. 

At  once  it  was  arranged  by  the  Council  that  the 
new  postulant  should  make  her  novitiate  at  the 
Mother  House  in  France,  and  there  be  grounded 
in  the  principles  of  the  religious  life,  while,  as  a 


140  A  Story  of  Fifty  Ye:ars 

side  issue,  she  was  to  study  the  best  methods  for 
the  instruction  of  deaf-mutes.     Preparations  were 
hurriedly  made,  and  on  the  feast  of  the  Patronage 
of  St.  Joseph,  1853,  she  received  the  habit  of  the 
Sisters  of  the  Holy  Cross,  with  the  name  Sister 
Mary  of  St.  Angela.    Immediately  after  her  recep- 
tion, accompanied  by  Sister  M.  Emily,  she  started 
for  France,  where,  under  the  guidance  of  the  Very 
Reverend  Superior  General,  Father  Moreau,  she 
passed  her  period  of  probation  in  the  convent  of  the 
Sisters  of  Bon  Secours,  at  Caen,  and  with  such  evi- 
dences of  a  marked  vocation  that,  by  dispensation, 
she  made  her  religious  profession  the  same  year, 
on  the  15th  of  December.       February  2nd,  1854, 
found  her  again  at  St.  Mary's,  Bertrand,  where  she 
was  charged  with  the  direction  of  the  school,  and 
from  that  time  until  her  death,  in  1887,  she  was 
associated  in  one  capacity  or  another  with  the  ad- 
ministrative body  of  the  community.     The  history 
of  the  Congregation  of  the  Sisters  of  the  Holy 
Cross  is,  in  a  sense,  the  story  of  Mother  Angela's 
religious  life,  the  beginnings  of  which,  as  a  dis- 
tinguished friend  of  St.  Mary's  has  so  well  said, 
prove  beyond  question,  ''that  a  healthy  and  splen- 
did mind  may  seek  in  the  religious  life  a  harmoni- 


Mothe:r  AngkIvA  141 

ous  completion,  a  happy  and  beneficent  existence, 
and  that  such  a  mind — long  enough  in  contact  with 
the  pleasures  of  the  world  to  enjoy  them,  and  so 
situated  as  to  have  encountered  no  heart-break,  but 
on  the  contrary  to  have  entered  upon  a  career  of 
distinction — may  see  in  total  self-abnegation  the 
highest  duty." 

With  her  whole  heart  in  the  work.  Mother  An- 
gela took  up  her  allotted  task,  and  at  once  showed 
the  wisdom  of  those  who  had  made  the  appoint- 
ment. Her  strong  intellect,  broad  culture  and  high 
sense  of  the  responsibility  resting  upon  the  Chris- 
tian woman  led  her  to  formulate  the  plan  of  educa- 
tion which  St.  Mary's  has  ever  striven  to  carry  out. 
And  in  order  to  insure  permanency  in  the  work  and 
success  in  the  efforts,  she  devoted  herself  particu- 
larly to  the  training  of  the  sisters  engaged  in  any 
way  with  the  development,  the  well-being,  of  the 
pupils  under  their  charge.  To-day,  a  teacher  de- 
pends not  a  little  on  material  equipment;  his  tools 
must  be  many  and  modern  and  of  the  best;  fifty 
years  ago  a  teacher  depended  upon  mental  and 
moral  equipment,  supplying  the  absence  of  material 
helps  with  interest  and  earnestness  and  ingenuity. 
Who  shall  say  which  method  conduces  most  to  the 


142  A  Story  oi?  Fifty  Y^ars 

development  of  mental  and  moral  powers  in  the  stu- 
dent ?  If  the  school  exists  to  teach  "the  high  mean- 
ing of  the  everyday  act  and  the  everyday  life,  the 
beauty  of  work,  of  unselfish  work,  with  ambition 
to  do  the  appointed  task,"  then  Mother  Angela  and 
her  co-laborers  were  true  educators.  The  annals 
of  the  community  show  that  the  regular  branches 
of  a  practical  education,  the  modern  languages, 
music,  art,  and  the  home-accomplishments,  were 
equally  the  object  of  Mother  Angela's  personal  in- 
terest and  attention.  The  teachers  first  and  then 
the  students  were  urged  on,  but  the  stimulus  of 
authority  was  also  the  stimulus  of  inspiration,  en- 
couragement. It  was  through  Mother  Angela  that 
Eliza  Allen  Starr  gave  to  St.  Mary's  the  impetus  of 
her  love  for  the  highest  in  Christian  art,  and  it  was 
also  through  her  efforts  that  St.  Mary's  was  made 
a  sharer  in  the  artistic  publications  of  the  Arundel 
Society  in  London, — a  privilege  enjoyed  by  few  in 
this  country  at  that  time.  And  it  may  be  said  that 
such  efforts  were  never  relaxed. 

Mother  Angela  saw  everything,  learned  from 
everything,  and  if  on  her  return  from  each  of  her 
visits  to  Europe,  she  brought  treasures  for  studio, 
library  and  museum,  she  brought  greater  treasures 


Mothe:r  Angela  143 

in  the  ideas  with  which  she  enriched  those  who 
came  in  contact  with  her  gifted  mind. 

Of  her  services  during  the  Civil  War,  brief  men- 
tion has  been  made  elsewhere,  but  we  may  add  here 
that  her  patriotism  was  what  would  be  expected 
from  one  of  her  family.  She  was  an  American  in 
every  trait,  though  her  kinship  with  the  Celtic  race 
was  evident  in  her  artistic  tendencies.  Mother  An- 
gela's personality  had  a  fascination  about  it;  she 
was  courteous,  tactful,  sympathetic,  a  rare  conver- 
sationalist ;  in  fine,  a  woman  of  highest  culture  and 
truest  spirituality. 

Her  relations  with  her  community  were  too  sa- 
cred for  words,  and  yet  grateful  appreciation 
prompts  a  warm  tribute  to  her  zeal,  her  self-sacri- 
fice, her  humility,  her  unreserved  devotion  to  Holy 
Cross.  In  her  position  as  superior  she  met  many 
contradictions;  naturally,  there  were  times  of  mis- 
understandings, of  fears  and  doubts,  but  she  stood 
the  test  of  trial,  hiding  the  heart-aches  that  must 
often  have  been  hers.  Her  activities  covered  a 
wide  field,  and  her  efforts  were  never  personal,  but 
were  for  the  community.  At  one  time  she  compiled 
a  series  of  readers  —  "The  Metropolitan"  —  in 
which  work  she  was  assisted  by  the  distinguished 


144  A  Story  of  Fifty  Ye:ars 

scholar,  Orestes  Brownson;  later  she  was  instru- 
mental in  the  publication  of  the  Excelsior  Series 
of  Readers  and  other  text-books.  Again,  we  find 
her  deeply  interested  in  the  promotion  of  work  for 
poor  churches,  affiliating  the  Congregation  of  the 
Sisters  of  the  Holy  Cross  with  the  long-established 
Sanctuary  Societies  of  Rome  and  Paris. 

All  through  these  years  of  arduous  labors, 
Mother  Angela  was  an  exemplar  of  religious  sim- 
plicity and  poverty  as  regards  her  personal  needs. 
Those  who  knew  her  intimately  say  that  she  never 
thought  of  herself,  of  her  comfort  or  even  conven- 
ience. She  was  impetuous — how  could  she  have 
accomplished  all  that  she  did,  had  she  been  other- 
Yvise? — ^but  her  sweet  humility  more  than  made 
amends  if  on  occasion  she  was  carried  away  by  her 
earnestness,  her  zeal.  This  beautiful  spirit  of  humil- 
ity is  illustrated  in  these  lines  to  Very  Reverend 
Father  General,  written  in  the  early  days : 

"I  cannot  rest  to-night  without  asking  you  to 
forgive  the  vivacity  with  which  I  expressed  my 
own  opinions.  Be  assured,  dear  Father,  in  pro- 
portion as  they  were  strong,  in  the  same  proportion 
am  I  not  only  willing,  but  anxious  to  fulfil  what- 
ever God  may  inspire  you  for  the  best.     I  shall 


MoTH^  Ang^IvA  145 

therefore  hold  myself  in  readiness  to-morrow  morn- 
ing to  fulfil  with  joy  and  alacrity  whatever  you 
may  decide." 

This  letter  illustrates,  too,  her  obedience,  a  vir- 
tue especially  characteristic  of  her,  and  founded  on 
a  true  spirit  of  faith.  Mother  Angela's  remark- 
able grasp  of  the  fundamentals  of  religious  life  gave 
her  a  more  than  ordinary  influence  over  the  sisters, 
an  influence  in  the  exercise  of  which  she  never 
failed  to  allow  for  the  personal  deflection  of  the 
compass  of  individuality;  and  it  was  her  recogni- 
tion of  the  personal  element  in  her  companions  that 
made  her  so  successful  in  developing  the  best  in 
the  community. 

In  the  early  days,  before  the  organization  of  the 
Congregation  was  really  complete,  the  Mother  Su- 
perior had  practically  most  to  do  with  the  govern- 
ment of  the  various  branches  of  the  community, — 
the  novitiate,  the  Academy  and  the  missions,  and 
Mother  Angela  administered  affairs  with  an  all- 
comprehending  sympathy  that  spoke  the  large 
mind,  the  large  heart.  She  entered  fully  into  Father 
General's  ideas  for  the  expansion  of  the  commu- 
nity, and,  if  he  planned,  it  was  Mother  Angela  who 
met  the  difficulties  attendant  upon  execution,  and 

10— 


146  A  Story  of  Fifty  Ye:ars 

always  with  an  indomitable  spirit.  She  knew,  too, 
whereof  she  spoke,  when,  in  1875,  she  penned  these 
words:  "Ah,  wo  do  not  know  how  to  say  the  Te 
Deum  until  we  have  passed  many  days  bowed  to 
the  earth  reciting  the  Miserere." 

It  is  not  surprising  that  Mother  Angela's  health 
gave  way  under  the  strain  of  labors  and  responsi- 
bilities. Twice  she  neared  the  valley  of  the  shadow 
of  death,  and  twice  God's  hand  was  stayed  at  the 
voice  of  prayer;  but  in  March,  1887,  the  end  came, 
when  none  might  prevail  with  the  Divine  Will,  and 
Mother  Angela  went  to  her  reward.  She  had 
known  the  discipline  of  sorrow,  of  disappointment, 
and  had  proved  herself  worthy  these  marks  of 
God's  loving  favor;  she  had  known  also  the  disci- 
pline of  success,  a  more  trying  test,  and  here,  too, 
she  proved  her  moral  fibre  to  have  been  of  the  fin- 
est. Upon  the  grief  and  joy  of  earth  alike,  she 
closed  her  eyes,  never  more,  we  fondly  trust,  to  look 
upon  sorrow  again.  Her  memory  is  a  precious 
one  to  her  sisters,  a  blessed  one  to  the  many  young 
hearts  that  turned  towards  her  trustingly  here 
at  St.  Mary's.  Her  friends  were  legion  and  were 
of  all  classes  and  all  lands.  Testimonies  to  her 
worth  came  to  the  Congregation  of  which  she  was 


Mother  Ange:i.a  147 

a  shining  light,  from  Rome,  France,  Ireland,  Eng- 
land, Canada  and  Mexico,  and  all  voiced  regret  that 
Mother  Angela  was  called  from  earth. 

At  one  time  she  wrote :  "Oh,  I  greatly  fear  the 
judgments  of  God,  and  unless  I  am  aided  by  the 
charity  of  others,  what  shall  I  do?  My  soul  is  filled 
with  terror  when  I  think  how  worse  than  empty- 
handed  I  am.  May  God  have  mercy  on  me !"  But 
those  who  knew  her  great  charity,  who  were  bene- 
ficiaries of  her  zeal,  those  who  walked  beside  her 
along  what  was  often  a  via  dolorosa,  think  of  her 
only  as  enjoying  the  Vision  Beautiful  that  cheered 
her  in  life's  darkest  hours,  the  vision  of  Him  for 
whose  sake  she  carried  the  cross  to  the  end,  and 
for  whom,  like  St.  Angela,  her  devoted  patron,  she 
led  countless  other  souls  up  to  the  Holy  Mount. 


St.  Mary's,  the  Mother-House. 

ThS  organization  of  the  Church  is  an  object  of 
admiration  even  to  those  outside  of  its  beneficent 
influence.  A  Guizot,  a  Macaulay,  a  Froude,  are 
forced  to  pay  it  the  tribute  of  their  praise  when 
they  look  upon  it  merely  as  a  human  institution, 
wliile  they  vainly  strive  to  explain  by  natural  causes 
the  secret  of  its  marvellous  vitality.  Some  econo- 
mists vaguely  apprehend  the  truth  of  the  matter, 
as,  for  instance,  when  Augustine  Birrell  says,  "It 
is  the  Mass  that  matters ;"  but  only  those  who  have 
felt  in  their  souls  the  divine  influence  radiating 
from  the  altar,  and  who  realize  the  meaning  of  the 
words,  "Thou  art  Peter  and  upon  this  rock  I  will 
build  My  Church,"  fully  understand  the  power 
of  "the  most  imposing  organic  Symbol  of  Christen- 
dom," and  the  relations  between  the  Holy  See  and 
the  faithful  in  every  part  of  the  world. 

In  the  economy  of  the  Church,  religious  Orders 
have  always  played  an  important  part,  and  from 

148 


St.  Mary's,  th^  Mother-Houss         149 

the  earliest  ages  we  find  the  Holy  See  securing  the 
well-being  of  monastic  houses  by  its  paternal  pro- 
tection, while  in  turn  the  religious  thus  favored 
have  ever  considered  it  a  high  privilege  to  serve 
the  successor  of  St.  Peter.  The  allegiance  thus  of- 
fered, however,  in  no  wise  interferes  with  the  au- 
tonomy of  the  Order  itself,  and  Rome,  having  once 
sanctioned  the  constitution  and  laws  of  a  congre- 
gation, not  only  respects  them,  but  enforces  them. 
We  have  a  parallel  case  in  the  government  of  the 
United  States,  where  we  find  a  State  within  a  State, 
independent,  yet  interdependent. 

Every  religious  community,  then,  has  direct  or 
indirect  relations  with  the  Holy  See,  and  depends 
on  Rome  for  its  right  to  exist.  When  communica- 
tion with  the  Propaganda  is  direct,  we  have  what  is 
called  a  community  governed  by  a  general  admin- 
istration; when  a  religious  house  is  under  the  im- 
mediate direction  of  the  Ordinary  in  whose  diocese 
it  is  situated,  the  community  is  styled  diocesan. 
Practically,  there  is  little  difference,  for  every  well- 
regulated  congregation  must  ever  consider  it  a  priv- 
ilege to  have  as  its  guide  and  director,  the  Bishop 
under  whose  jurisdiction  it  is.  At  all  times  and  in 
all  places  where  they  are  established,  the  Sisters 


150  A  Story  of  Fifty  Yejars 

of  the  Holy  Cross  have  been  blessed  with  the  co- 
operation of  the  Bishops,  who  were  true  shep- 
herds in  the  fold  of  Christ,  and  they  have  always 
found  obedience  to  their  Constitutions,  in  the  mat- 
ter of  respect  and  obedience  to  the  Ordinary,  a  duty 
of  grateful  regard  and  of  pleasure  as  well.  Chap- 
ter third  of  the  Constitutions  of  the  Sisters  of  the 
Holy  Cross  states  that  "No  House  of  the  Congre- 
gation can  be  established  without  the  previous  con- 
sent of  the  Bishop  of  the  Diocese,"  a  provision 
which  gains  a  special  significance  in  this  narrative. 
The  community  has  numerous  missions,  the  mem- 
bers are  therefore  benefited  by  the  paternal  interest 
of  many  zealous  Bishops. 

The  term  "Mother-House"  explains  the  relation 
between  St.  Mary's  and  its  missions.  Congrega- 
tions approved  by  the  Holy  See  and  having  a  gen- 
eral administration  are,  naturally,  stronger  than 
diocesan  establishments.  St.  Mary's  serves  as  the 
nursery  of  the  Order  and  the  training-school  of 
the  teaching  body,  besides  being  the  home  of  the  sis- 
ters, where  in  sickness  there  is  rest  and  care,  and 
where,  at  the  hour  of  death,  they  receive  the  conso- 
lations of  our  holy  religion  in  an  atmosphere  that  is 
in  a  sense  native  to  the  soul,  recalling  the  days  when 


y~- 


STILE  AT  WESTERN  APPROACH  TO  NOTRE  DAME. 
ST.  MARY'S  ENTRANCE  AND  MAIN  AVENUE. 


150  A  Story  of  Fifty  Y^ars 

of  the  iioi}  cross  have  been  blessed  with  the  co- 
operation of  the  Bishops,  who  were  true  shep- 
herds in  the  fold  of  Christ,  and  they  have  always 
found  obedience  to  their  Constitutions,  in  the  mat- 
ter of  respect  and  obedience  to  the  Ordinary,  a  duty 
of  grateful  rr. 

of  the  * 


:u:   .;?  can  b-  ->hed  wilhoul  the  pi'^vioui.  i,o*. 

sent  of  the  '    ••     Tj  ''  -    -  r.n 

which'eM^^^^^'^^  OT  ^;)^pa^*5^^  visiaTZTw  tk  ^jz 

The  com*'^''"^'*^^'  ^.c^^  ..^mcr^jub  ■  -^- --in- 

:  -  -    ;;r^'  benefited  bv  '  interest 


between  St.  Mary's  and  its  m 
tions  approved  by  the  Holy  See  and  having  a  gen- 
eral administration  are,  naturally,  stronger  than 
diocesan  establishments.  St.  Mary's  serves  as  the 
nursery  of  the  Order  and  the  training-school  of 
the  te  ■  body,  besides  being  the  home  of  the  sis- 
ters, ,.  .V.V  11  sickness  there  is  rest  and  care,  and 
where,  at  the  hour  of  death,  they  receive  the  conso- 
lations of  our  holy  religion  in  an  atmosphere  that  is 
in  a  sense  native  to  the  soul,  recalling  the  days  when 


St.  Mary's,  the;  Mothe;r-Hous^        151 

young  in  the  religious  life  it  pledged  fidelity  to  the 
end,  and  where,  year  after  year,  at  the  annual  re- 
treat, this  pledge  was  solemnly  renewed. 

The  Congregation  of  the  Holy  Cross  is  small, 
numbering  only  about  a  thousand  souls,  and  though 
scattered  over  many  States  and  Territories,  St. 
Mary's  is  "home"  to  all  the  establishments  of  the 
community;  the  spirit  of  loyalty  to  the  Mother- 
House,  a  marked  characteristic  of  the  sisters,  has 
ever  been  one  of  the  consolations  of  the  superiors, 
as  their  letters  and  other  records  abundantly  testify. 
Each  summer  there  is  the  eager  home-coming  of 
the  sisters  who  are  stationed  near  enough  to  St. 
Mary's  to  justify  the  journey,  while  even  from  the 
far  missions  of  California  some  enjoy  the  privilege 
of  the  return  every  year,  thus  keeping  strong  the 
ties  of  affection  that  bind  all  in  one  family.  At  reg- 
ular intervals,  as  the  Rule  requires,  each  establish- 
ment of  the  Order  is  officially  visited  by  the  Mother 
General,  or  a  representative  from  the  Mother- 
House,  thereby  insuring  a  uniformity  in  action  and 
a  oneness  of  spirit  that  make  for  the  strength,  mate- 
rial and  spiritual,  of  the  Congregation. 

Mention  has  already  been  made  of  the  founda- 
tions from  the  Mother-House  in  the  early  years, 


152  A  Story  oi^  Fi^ty  Y^ars 

and,  as  the  community  became  known,  there  were 
many  appHcations  for  its  services  in  the  various 
Hues  in  which  the  Congregation  carries  out  its 
purpose  as  a  reHgious  body.  In  so  far  as  the  num- 
ber of  subjects  permitted,  the  community  gradually 
extended  its  sphere  of  activity,  always  considering 
the  good  to  be  accomplished  rather  than  the  mate- 
rial advantages  to  be  gained.  But  the  demand  has 
always  exceeded  the  supply,  and  the  constant  prayer 
of  the  community  is  that  the  Lord  of  the  harvest 
may  send  more  laborers  into  His  vineyard. 

The  most  convenient  summary  of  the  missions 
conducted  by  the  Sisters  of  the  Holy  Cross  will, 
perhaps,  be  according  to  location,  rather  than  date 
of  foundation,  and  those  nearest  home  are  the  es- 
tablishments in  the  State  of  Indiana.  First  of  these, 
even  antedating  the  present  Mother-House,  is  the 
home  of  the  sisters  employed  at  Notre  Dame.  At 
that  great  centre  of  varied  activities,  the  Sisters  of 
the  Holy  Cross  have  the  care  of  the  sick,  are 
charged  with  the  domestic  work,  are  engaged  in 
some  of  the  branches  of  the  publishing  department, 
and  teach  in  St.  Edward's  Hall.  St.  Joseph's  Acad- 
emy, South  Bend,  is  also  one  of  the  old  foundations, 
and  seems  almost  like  a  part  of  the  Mother-House; 


St.  Mary's,  the;  Mother-House:         153 

it  is  the  centre  from  which  are  suppHed  the  teach- 
ers of  the  parochial  schools  attached  to  St.  Patrick's, 
St.  Mary's  and  St.  Hedwig's  congregation.  On  the 
east  side  of  the  city  are  Assumption  School,  the  par- 
ish school  of  St.  Joseph's  Church,  and  St.  Joseph's 
Hospital,  a  splendidly  equipped,  new  building,  on 
a  height  overlooking  the  St.  Joseph  River  and  val- 
ley. Near  Fort  Wayne  is  a  mission  that  is  endeared 
by  many  associations,  for  it  claimed  the  special 
and  personal  interest  of  the  Very  Reverend  Father 
Sorin, — the  Academy  of  the  Sacred  Heart, — which 
dates  back  to  1866.  Like  St.  Mary's,  it  has  the 
charm  of  solitude,  and  in  its  beautiful  environment 
traditions  find  a  favorable  atmosphere.  St.  Rose's, 
Laporte;  Holy  Angels'  and  St.  Vincent's,  Logans- 
port;  St.  Charles',  Crawf ordsville ;  St.  Michael's, 
Plymouth;  St.  Vincent's,  Elkhart;  St.  John's, 
Goshen;  St.  Mary's,  Union  City;  St.  Paul's,  Val- 
paraiso; and  St.  Mary's,  Anderson,  are  the  other 
schools  in  the  diocese  of  Fort  Wayne,  at  present 
under  the  direction  of  the  Sisters  of  the  Holy 
Cross. 

St.  John's  Hospital,  Anderson,  founded  through 
the  munificence  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  John  Hickey,  repre- 
sents an  important  phase  of  the  Congregation's  ac- 


154  A  Story  o^  Fi^ty  Y^ars 

tive  life,  in  a  constantly  growing  field  of  Christian 
charity. 

At  Morris,  Illinois,  the  Congregation  conducts 
St.  Angela's  Academy  and  the  parochial  school  at- 
tached to  the  Church  of  the  Immaculate  Conception. 
St.  Angela's  was  founded  in  1857,  and  has  won  an 
enviable  name  in  the  world  of  Catholic  education. 
The  pupils  of  this  institution  prove  that  right  educa- 
tion is  to  fit  the  student  for  life  and  its  manifold 
duties.  St.  Patrick's,  Chatsworth ;  St.  Mary's  Acad- 
emy, Danville;  St.  Mary's  School,  Westville;  St. 
Mary's  Infirmary,  Cairo;  and  Our  Saviour's  Hos- 
pital, Jacksonville,  are  also  in  the  archdiocese  of 
Chicago.  Ohio  has  one  house  of  the  Order,  Mt. 
Carmel  Hospital,  at  Columbus,  an  institution  which 
embodies,  as  some  one  well  expressed  it,  all  that 
science  and  heart  can  give  to  a  home  for  the  sick. 

The  Eastern  houses  are  near  enough  together  to 
give  the  community  the  strength  of  union  in  that 
province,  and  at  least  two  of  the  foundations  claim 
nearly  as  many  years  as  does  the  Mother-House  it- 
self. St.  Patrick's  School,  Baltimore,  was  opened  in 
1859,  and  St.  Joseph's  Orphan  Asylum,  Washington 
D.  C,  was  founded  about  1856.  The  latter  institu- 
tion has  come  to  be  a  landmark  in  the  Capital,  and 


CONVENT  AND  NOVITIATE. 


^^ 


154  A  Story  of  Fiipty  Y^ars 

tive  liif,,  iu  a  constantly  growing  field  of  Christian 
charity. 

At  Morris,  Illinois,  the  Congregation  conducts 
St.  Angela's  Academy  and  the  parochial  school  at- 
tached to  the  Church  of  the  Immaculate  Conception. 
St.  Angela's  w^  '  "i  has  won  an 

enviable  na; 

upils  of  this  institution  provt  x- 

tion  is  to  fit  tb  *    it  for  life  ^ma  :■.:.  ii..:n-ioid 

duties.  St.  Patrick  .s,  v.iiatsworth ;  St.  Mary's  Acad- 
emy, Danville;  St.  Marv's  School,  Westville;  St. 
Mary's  Infirma-^^.^LWBy^  Mh'^^Via^mc^Tiour's  Hos- 
pital, Jacksonville,  are  nJ«?o  i-  'mcese  of 

)hio  h: 
Carmel  Ho 

embodies,  as  some  one  well  express 
science  and  heart  can  give  to  a  home  for  the  sick. 

The  Eastern  houses  are  near  enough  together  to 
give  the  community  the  strength  of  union  in  that 
province,  and  at  least  two  of  the  foundations  claim 
nearly  as  many  years  as  does  the  Mother-House  it- 
self. St,  Patrick's  School,  Baltimore,  was  opened  in 
1859,  and  St.  Joseph's  Orphan  Asylum,  Washington 
D.  C,  was  founded  about  1856.  The  latter  institu- 
tion has  come  to  be  a  landmark  in  the  Capital,  and 


St.  Mary's,  the  Mother-House         155 

its  wise  administration  has  won  for  it  encomiums 
from  men  of  prominence  and  national  fame.  More 
than  once  has  its  name  been  spoken  in  the  House 
and  in  the  Senate  in  illustration  of  what  the  Cath- 
olic sisterhoods  in  this  country  are  doing  in  the 
cause  of  charity;  and  there  are  traditions  sacredly 
cherished  and  religiously  handed  down,  year  after 
year,  of  personal  marks  of  interest  in  the  orphan 
boys  and  their  home,  shown  by  President  Lincoln, 
while  recent  favors  from  the  present  incumbent  at 
the  White  House  threaten  to  cause  heated  debates 
among  the  boys  as  to  the  relative  value  of  coins 
of  kindness  bearing  respectively  the  dates  1865  and 
1905.  St.  Cecilia's  Academy  has  seen  much  of  the 
changing  panorama  of  Washington  life,  and  view- 
ing it  from  the  heights  she  has  gone  on  quietly,  un- 
affected by  time's  vicissitudes.  Her  pupils  know  her 
devotedness  and  are  proud  of  their  Alma  Mater. 
The  sisters  who  teach  St.  Peter's  School  make  St. 
Cecilia's  their  home.  Holy  Cross  Academy  is  in 
the  west  end  of  the  city,  on  Massachusetts  Avenue, 
and  numbers  among  its  friends  and  alumnae  many 
people  of  prominence  in  the  District.  It  is  recog- 
nized as  a  centre  of  educational  interests,  and  it  is 
only  a  question  of  time  when  it  will  have  a  building 


156  A  Story  of  Fifty  Y^ars 

and  an  equipment  commensurate  with  its  needs  and 
position.  From  Holy  Cross  are  taught  St.  Mat- 
thew's and  St.  Paul's  Schools.  The  Reverend  Dr. 
Stafford's  new  school,  St.  Patrick's  Academy,  last 
but  not  least  on  the  Washington  list,  is  also  in 
charge  of  the  Sisters  of  the  Holy  Cross. 

St.  Mary's  Academy,  Alexandria,  goes  back  to 
1869  for  its  beginning,  but  can  point  to  its  fine 
newly-appointed  Colonial  mansion  should  anyone 
refer  to  an  old-time  atmosphere  about  the  historic 
Virginia  town.  In  Baltimore,  the  sisters  direct  St. 
Patrick's  School,  St.  Patrick's  Orphan  Asylum,  and 
the  Dolan  Aid  Asylum,  on  South  Broadway,  while 
in  St.  Pius'  parish,  they  conduct  the  parochial  school 
and  St.  Catherine's  Normal  Institute.  A  normal 
school  for  Catholic  teachers  was  one  of  Mother  An- 
gela's long-cherished  plans,  and  she  thought  of 
founding  it  at  Washington,  D.  C,  but  the  Most 
Reverend  Archbishop  Bailey  expressed  his  prefer- 
ence for  Baltimore  as  its  location.  The  building 
was  blessed  by  His  Grace,  March  11,  1875,  and  at 
the  Silver  Jubilee  of  the  Institution  in  1900,  His 
Eminence  Cardinal  Gibbons  voiced  the  general  ver- 
dict, that  the  sisters  in  founding  St.  Catherine's  had 
builded  better  than  they  knew. 


St.  Mary's,  tnt  Mothe:r-House:         157 

The   community   is    represented   at   Lancaster, 
Pennsylvania,  by  three  schools,  Sacred  Heart  Acad- 
emy,   Sacred   Heart    School    and    St.    Anthony's 
School.    Farthest  east,  and  youngest  on  the  list  of 
the  houses  of  the  Congregation,  is  St.  Paul's  School, 
connected  with  the  Paulist  Church  in  New  York. 
The  southern  province  claims  two  foundations, — 
both  in  Texas, — St.  Mary's,  Austin,  one  of  the  com- 
munity's most  important  houses,  and  St.  Mary's, 
Marshall.    On  our  way  west,  we  may  mention  St. 
Mary's  School,  Davenport,  Iowa.       In  Utah  are 
some  of  the  community's  most  ambitious  founda- 
tions,— St.  Mary's  Academy  and  Holy  Cross  Hos- 
pital,   splendidly    equipped    institutions    and    each 
doing  exceptionally  fine  work  in  its  line.    Both  have 
passed  their  Silver  Jubilee  year  and  are  a  pride  and 
an  ornament  to  Salt  Lake  City.     The  sisters  also 
care  for  the  children  at  St.  Ann's,  an  orphan  asy- 
lum which  is  a  monument  to  the  zeal  and  charity 
of  the  Right  Reverend  Bishop  Scanlan.     Ogden 
has  one  of  the  finest  buildings  in  the  State  in  Sacred 
Heart  Academy,  which  holds  a  place  second  to  none 
among  the  schools  of  the  West.       St.   Patrick's 
School,  Ogden;  St.  Mary's,  Park  City,  and  St.  Jo- 
seph's, Eureka,  complete  the  Utah  list.    In  Idaho, 


158  A  Story  of  Fifty  Ykars 

the  Sisters  of  the  Holy  Cross  are  to  be  found  at  St. 
Teresa's  Academy  and  St.  Alphonsus'  Hospital, 
Boise  City,  and  at  St.  Joseph's  School,  Pocatello. 
In  CaHfornia  the  sisters  at  St.  Augustine's,  Fresno ; 
St.  Charles',  San  Francisco,  and  Holy  Rosary, 
Woodland,  call  St.  Mary's  "home" ;  and  sunlit  and 
fair  as  is  their  western  abiding  place,  in  days  of 
trial,  as  in  days  of  jubilee,  their  hearts  turn  to  the 
"old  home  ground." 

All  this  reads  like  a  mere  inventory,  and  yet  the 
establishment  and  growth  of  each  of  St.  Mary's 
missions  mark  distinct  steps  in  the  development  of 
the  community  during  the  past  fifty  years.  In  the 
case  of  each  mission  there  were  the  inevitable  diffi- 
culties of  the  founding  and  the  first  years  of  effort, 
the  trials  and  the  triumphs,  all  acting  and  reacting 
in  the  upbuilding  of  the  Congregation.  In  the  pages 
of  this  brief  narrative,  these  branch  establishments 
are  merely  mentioned,  but  when  the  history  of  the 
community  comes  to  be  written,  as  some  day  it  will, 
they  will  naturally  have  whole  chapters  devoted  to 
them,  and  the  story  will  be  of  interest  and  edifica- 
tion. The  histories  of  all  its  missions  are  preserved 
in  St.  Mary's  archives ;  but  should  these  records  be 
destroyed,  there  would  still  remain  at  the  Mother- 


St.  Mary's,  the:  Mother-Hous^         159 

House,  beyond  earthly  power  of  destruction,  death- 
less memories  of  loyalty  and  devotedness,  as  imper- 
ishably  written  as  is  the  memory  of  faithful  children 
on  the  heart  of  a  loving  mother. 


St.  Mary's  Honor-Roll. 
#  ^  ^ 

"DuTiEis  towards  the  Deceased  Members  of  the 

Congregation"  is  the  title  of  Chapter  XLIV.  in  the 

Book  of  Rules  of  the  Sisters  of  the  Holy  Cross ;  and 

the  following  extract  shows  the  spirit  of  the  rule, 

the  letter  of  which  deals  with  the  formal  suffrages 

to  be  offered  for  the  departed : 

Among  the  precious  consolations  which  a  community  of- 
fers to  a  religious  soul,  there  is,  perhaps,  none  calculated 
to  make  a  deeper  impression  than  the  suffrages  designated 
by  the  Rule.  In  the  world,  the  old  adage,  "Out  of  sight,  out 
of  mind"  is,  unfortunately,  too  true;  in  religion,  the  mem- 
ory of  the  dear  dead  is  vividly  and  sweetly  kept  in  the 
hearts  of  the  survivors ;  and  in  truth  the  fervor  of  a  congre- 
gation is  nowise  better  attested  than  by  its  undying  and 
prayerful  affection  for  its  departed  members. 

From  the  earliest  days  of  the  community,  the  list 
of  its  dead  has  constituted  the  honor-roll  of  the 
Sisters  of  the  Holy  Cross,  and  with  the  Congrega- 
tion's first  hostage  to  Heaven,  Sister  Mary  of  Mt. 
Carmel,  who  died  August  1st,  1847,  there  was  es- 
tablished, as  it  were,  a  new  field  of  labor,  where 

160 


TY  CEMETERY. 


V^' 


St.  Mary's  Honor-Roll, 


*  *  -0 


Book  oi  isters  u:  •s;and 

the  following  extract  shows  the  spirit  of  the  rule, 
the  letter  of  which  deals  with  the  formal  suffrages 
to  be  offered  for  the  departed : 

of- 

to  make  a  deeper  impress. 

lie.    In  the  -" 
-. .     ,     ,-    "  iij,  union'.;;.-  ■       ,    , 

ory  of  the  dear  dead  is  vividly  and  sweetly  kept  in  the 
hearts  of  the  survivors ;  and  in  truth  the  fervor  of  a  congre- 
gation is  nowise  better  attested  than  by  its  undying  and 
prayerful  affection  for  its  departed  members. 

From  the  earliest  days  of  the  community,  the  list 
lead  has  constituted  the  honor-roll  of  the 
Sisters  of  the  Holy  Cross,  and  with  the  Congrega- 
tion's first  hostage  to  Heaven,  Sister  Mary  of  Mt. 
Carmel,  who  died  August  1st,  1847,  there  was  es- 
tablished, as  it  were,  a  new  field  of  labor,  where 

160 


St.  Mary's  Honor-RoIvI.  161 

those  who  were  taken  from  earthly  toil  in  the  vine- 
yard of  Holy  Cross,  might  still  bear  part  with  far 
greater  efficacy  in  the  work  of  their  community; 
and  every  member  since  added  to  the  Sisterhood  of 
the  Holy  Cross  triumphant  has  bound  the  two 
branches  more  closely  together. 

Never  are  the  dead  forgotten  by  the  community, 
and  never  has  there  been  a  sign  of  the  merely  per- 
functory in  the  fulfilment  of  love's  duty  to  the  de- 
parted. It  is  not  the  "poetry  of  the  tomb"  that 
wreathes  the  names  of  the  dead  with  immortelles, 
it  is  the  beautiful  doctrine  of  the  Church, — Mother 
Church  indeed, — that  with  its  knowledge,  its  appre- 
hension, its  appreciation,  of  the  mysteries  of  tender- 
est  affection,  consoles  us  by  reminding  us  that  death 
is  not  the  end  of  all,  and  that  to  put  on  immortality 
is  not  to  lose  sight  of  those  once  loved. 

Every  Order  has  its  own  special  means  of  insuring 
the  faithful  memory  of  the  dead;  with  the  Sisters 
of  the  Holy  Cross  there  are  two  constant  reminders 
of  those  gone  before.  Each  day,  before  the  reading 
of  the  Martyrology  at  the  close  of  the  midday  meal, 
announcement  is  made  of  all  those  the  anniversary 
of  whose  death  the  day  marks ;  and,  in  each  house, 
at  the  entrance  to  the  community-room  or  chapel, 

11— 


162  A  Story  of  Fifty  Yfars 

as  the  case  may  be,  there  is  a  card  bearing  the  names 
of  the  deceased  members.  In  addition  to  this,  dur- 
ing the  annual  retreat  at  the  Mother-House,  the 
sisters  go  in  procession,  once  a  day,  to  the  commu- 
nity cemetery,  there  to  offer  general  prayers  for  the 
departed.  And  if  "it  is  a  holy  and  wholesome 
thought  to  pray  for  the  dead,  that  they  may  be 
loosed  from  their  sins,"  this  pious  remembrance  is 
not  without  its  advantages  to  the  living.  There  is 
indeed  a  threefold  benefit  to  be  derived :  it  is  an  in- 
centive to  renewed  effort,  an  encouragement  in  the 
way  of  perseverance,  and  it  keeps  alive  in  the  com- 
munity that  sense  of  obligation  which  kinship  with 
the  noble  dead  imposes. 

There  are  more  than  three  hundred  names  on  the 
honor-roll  of  the  dead  of  the  Congregation  of  the 
Sisters  of  the  Holy  Cross,  and  in  the  last  resting- 
place  at  St.  Mary's,  shadowed  by  tall  cedars,  there 
is  a  memorial  cross  to  each  one,  even  though  the 
remains,  as  in  the  case  of  those  who  died  at  a  long 
distance  from  home,  rest  elsewhere.  Truly,  it  is 
God's  Acre,  and  the  great  stone  crucifix  in  the  main 
walk  of  the  cemetery  stands  a  monument  to  the  dead 
and  a  sign  of  hope  to  the  living. 

The  history  of  the  community  has  been  largely 


St.  Mary's  Honor-Roll  163 

influenced  by  those  who  now  rest  from  labor;  and 
yet,  if  the  dead  form  a  great  democracy,  there  was 
no  less  a  democracy  when  they  were  actively  en- 
gaged in  the  realities  of  life.  "The  high,  stern- 
featured  beauty  of  plain  devotedness  to  duty,"  actu- 
ated each  one,  whether  that  duty  called  to  command 
or  to  obey ;  and  while  all  are  gratefully  remembered, 
mention  can  be  made  in  these  pages  of  only  a  few, — 
those  who  at  some  time  bore  the  burdens  of  official 
position  at  the  Mother-House,  and  so,  perhaps,  be- 
cause of  greater  responsibility  have  greater  need  of 
prayerful  remembrance. 

The  death  in  1848,  of  Mother  M.  of  the  Cenacle 
(Louise  Naveau),  mentioned  elsewhere  in  this 
chronicle,  was  the  first  great  loss  sustained  by  the 
sisters ;  and  the  blow  fell  at  a  time  when  the  com- 
munity seemed  little  able  to  sustain  it;  but  her 
devoted  love  of  Holy  Cross  was  an  assurance  to 
those  who  mourned  her  death  that  she  would  not 
forget  her  spiritual  children,  to  whom  she  had  en- 
deared herself  by  her  many  virtues  and  her  untiring 
efforts  in  the  interests  of  the  struggling  commu- 
nity. It  was  under  Mother  Cenacle's  inspiration 
that  the  beginning  of  a  real  educational  spirit  made 
itself  felt  at  Bertrand,  and  the  preservation  of  that 


164  A  Story  o?  Fifty  Years 

spirit  through  the  years  that  followed  her  death 
showed  that  she  had  not  labored  in  vain. 

Mother   M.    Eusebia    (Anna   Mcintosh),    who 
yielded  her  soul  to  God,  October  9,  1872,  was  an- 
other sad  loss  to  the  community  in  general,  and  to 
the  administrative  body  in  particular.    She  received 
the  habit  in  September,  1856,  and  was  professed  in 
March,  1858.     Her  rare  gifts  were  recognized  at 
once,  and  her  power  as  a  teacher  was  evident  from 
the  first.    A  woman  of  culture,  accomplished,  tact- 
ful, full  of  resources,  deeply  impressed  with  the  need 
of  a  solid  religious  training  for  young  women,  it 
is  not  surprising  that  she  was  selected  as  a  member 
of  the  Council  at  St.  Mary's,  with  the  affairs  of  the 
Academy  as  her  particular  charge.    Mother  Euse- 
bia was  a  true  educator  and  the  influence  of  her 
beautiful  personality,  her  forceful  character,  no  less 
than  her  splendid  mental  qualifications,  fitted  her  in 
a  special  manner  for  her  work.    Her  hold  on  young 
minds  was  that  of  the  ideal  teacher,  and  she  could 
ill  be  spared  from  the  task  that  seemed  to  be  hers 
by  right  of  her  almost  unique  fitness.    No  death  is 
untimely  when  we  consider  that  He  who  orders  all 
things  measures  time  by  the  heart-beats  of  His 
love;  but  humanly  speaking, Mother  Eusebia's  death 


FAMILIAR  SCENES. 


164  A  Story  o?  Fii^ty  Ye^ars 

spirit  Ml  rough  the  years  that  followed  her  death 
showed  that  she  had  not  labored  in  vain. 

Mother  M.  Eusebia  (Anna  Mcintosh),  who 
yielded  her  soul  to  God,  October  9,  1872,  was  an- 
other sad  loss  to  the  comtnunitv  ^n  pi-eneral,  and  to 
the  adm  /ed 

March,  1858.     Her  r 

once,  and  her  power  v,  ev  ident  from 

the  first.    A  woman  ot  culture,  accompHshed,  tact- 
ful, full  of  resources,  deeply  impressed  with  the  need 

,-.?  n    -.iM  .-::,'-;.. ,ic:  frainincT  for  yoimg  women,  it 
"  -^  .     v.-   "-:  Vftpd  n«;  n  meniher 

Academy  a  iSC; 

bia  was  a  true  educator  and  the  influence  of  her 
beautiful  personality,  her  forceful  character,  no  less 
than  her  splendid  mental  qualifications,  fitted  her  in 
a  special  manner  for  her  work.  Her  hold  on  young 
minds  was  that  of  the  ideal  teacher,  and  she  could 
ill  be  :  •  ■  *"rom  the  task  that  seemed  to  be  hers 
by  rigiu  .,  .  almost  unique  fitness.  No  death  is 
untimely  when  we  consider  that  He  who  orders  all 
things  measures  time  by  the  heart-beats  of  His 
love ;  but  humanly  speaking.  Mother  Eusebia's  death 


St.  Mary's  Honor-Roi.i.  165 

was  an  irreparable  loss.  She  was  in  her  forty-third 
year  and  had  been  sixteen  years  a  Sister  of  the  Holy 
Cross.  On  the  day  preceding  the  night  of  her 
death  she  seemed  to  be  in  her  usual  health,  but  was 
seized  with  an  illness  which  resulted  fatally  in  a  few 
hours.  The  alumnae  of  the  years  1866  to  1872  hold 
Mother  Eusebia's  name  in  grateful  memory,  and 
reminiscences  of  those  days  recall  beautiful  traits 
of  character  and  noble  qualities  of  heart  and  soul. 
All  remember  with  affection  the  human  side  of  the 
earnest,  impulsive  woman,  but  only  because  it  em- 
phasized the  qualities  that  belonged  to  the  just,  the 
straightforward,  the  humble  religious.  There  was 
nothing  petty,  nothing  selfish  about  her.  More 
than  one  St.  Mary's  graduate  calls  Mother  Eusebia 
blessed  for  having  given  her  pupils  a  philosophy  of 
life  based  upon  religious  principles.  One  of  her 
latest  official  acts  was  to  reorganize  for  the  scholas- 
tic year  1872-1873  the  reHgious  associations  of  the 
school,  and  at  the  last  meeting  of  the  teachers,  only 
three  days  before  her  death,  she  spoke  nearly  the 
entire  hour  on  the  necessity  of  basing  education  on 
religion,  and  of  sanctifying  by  a  spiritual  motive 
their  every  effort  in  the  accomplishment  of  their 
duties.    The  memory  of  her  life  is  to  the  Congrega- 


166  A  Story  of  Fifty  Ye:ars 

tion  a  legacy  of  beautiful  lessons  and  potent  influ- 
ences for  good. 

Mother  M.  Colette  (Isabel  Cunnea)  was  the  next 
member  of  the  administrative  body  called  to  her 
reward;  and  her  death,  December  10,  1890,  though 
long  expected,  brought  sorrow  to  every  house  of  the 
Order.     Twenty-seven  years  a  religious.  Mother 
Colette  had  served  the  community  nobly,  consecrat- 
ing her  every  moment  to  the  furtherance  of  its 
smallest  interest.     A  practical  financier,  she  was 
chosen  in  1875  as  stewardess,  an  office  she  ably 
filled  up  to  the  last.    To  the  poor  she  was  ever  full 
of  charity,  and  an  honest  appeal  always  went  to  her 
heart.     But  it  was  among  her  own  that  she  was 
best  known  and  best  loved.     "In  counsel  prudent 
and  wise,  in  disposition  modest  and  unassuming,  in 
character  integrity  itself,"   she  was  revered  and 
loved  and  trusted  by  all.    Years  before  her  death 
the  warning  signs  of  the  dread  disease  that  closed 
her  unselfish  life  prepared  her  and  her  sisters  for 
the  inevitable;  long,  weary  months  of  intense  suf- 
fering was  her  portion,  but  she  bore  all  with  quiet 
patience,  keeping  to  her  post  as  long  as  it  was  at  all 
possible.    But  when  the  end  came,  and  it  came  all 
too  soon,  the  community  was  little  prepared  for  the 


St.  Mary's  Honor-Roli.  167 

loss,  which  seemed  personal  to  each  sister.  Mother 
Colette  was  a  woman  of  faith,  and  in  her  fine  men- 
taHty,  her  strong  character  and  broad,  tolerant, 
kindly  nature,  she  was  a  force  in  the  Congregation 
she  loved.  She  was  truly  a  valiant  woman,  and 
"from  the  uttermost  coasts  was  the  value  of  her." 
In  1864  Sister  M.  of  St.  Charles  (Joanna  Flynn) 
was  elected  to  the  office  of  local  Superior  at  St. 
Mary's,  a  position  she  held  for  fourteen  years,  dur- 
ing which  time  she  was  truly  an  assistant  and  coun- 
sellor to  Mother  Angela  and  the  other  members  of 
the  Administration,  and  a  mother  to  those  under 
her  immediate  care.  Mother  Charles  was  unique 
in  personality.  Almost  masculine  in  strength  of 
mind,  she  was  yet  gently  thoughtful  of  the  hundred 
and  one  things  that  make  for  the  well-being  of  the 
home,  the  comfort  of  the  sisters.  Her  methods  in 
the  class-room  and  with  the  students  in  general 
were  much  like  those  of  the  venerable  Dr.  McCosh, 
and  many  of  the  stories  told  to  illustrate  character- 
istics of  the  kindly  old  professor  at  Princeton,  re- 
mind one  irresistibly  of  Mother  Charles.  School 
traditions  give  interesting  accounts  of  the  days,  or 
rather  nights,  when  star-gazing  called  for  out-of- 
door  sessions  of  class,  or  of  lessons  in  mathematics 


168  A  Story  of  Fifty  Ye:ars 

made  as  fascinating  as  nature-study  is  to-day.  Her 
abilities  were  so  thoroughly  appreciated,  that  in 
1878,  when  it  was  decided  that  she  should  replace 
Mother  Augusta  at  St.  Mary's,  Salt  Lake  City, 
there  was  general  mourning  at  the  Mother-House. 
But  the  court  of  religious  obedience  knows  no  ap- 
peal, and  Mother  Charles  went  to  her  western  mis- 
sion followed  by  the  esteem  and  love  of  all  who  had 
been  associated  with  her.  Her  final  return  to  the 
''dear  home-ground"  was  in  December,  1890,  when 
all  that  was  mortal  of  Mother  Charles  was  laid  to 
rest  in  the  little  community  cemetery. 

Sister  M.  of  St.  Emily  (Julia  Rivard),  already 
mentioned  as  Mother  Angela's  companion  when  she 
went  to  France  to  make  her  novitiate,  is  also  on  the 
list  of  general  functionaries  in  the  early  days.  At 
intervals  between  1857  and  1866,  Sister  Emily  filled 
the  position  of  local  stewardess,  and  a  devoted  inter- 
est in  anything  that  pertained  to  her  charge  was 
ever  a  marked  characteristic  of  her  religious  life. 
Simplicity  and  charity  were  the  qualities  which  en- 
deared her  to  all,  and  of  these  virtues  she  showed 
an  example  to  the  last.  Her  death  occurred  in 
December,  1891,  full  of  years  and  merits. 

From  1861  to  1864,  the  name  of  Sister  M.  Ed- 


St.  Mary's  Honor-Roll  169 

ward  (Mary  A.  Murphy)  appears  as  one  of  the 
community's  officers,  though  grateful  regard  of 
Sister  Edward  needs  not  the  written  record  to  in- 
sure her  remembrance.  Her  special  charge  in  the 
early  days  was  the  class  of  deaf-mutes,  to  whom  she 
was  the  best  of  friends  and  kindest  of  mothers. 
Whether  at  St.  Mary's  or  on  the  missions,  she  was 
a  devoted,  faithful,  and  able  member  of  Holy  Cross, 
and  her  death  in  1892,  at  Laporte,  Indiana,  brought 
mourning  to  all  who  knew  her  true  worth. 

The  names  of  Mother  M.  of  the  Ascension  (Ma- 
thurine  Salou)  and  her  beloved  sister.  Mother  M. 
Ursula  (Augustine  Salou),  appear  early  on  the 
community's  list  of  efficient  and  devoted  members. 
Mother  Ascension  was  intimately  connected  with 
the  foundation  of  the  Congregation,  when  special 
executive  abilities  were  needed.  Deeply  religious, 
she  proved  an  ideal  Mistress  of  Novices,  a  position 
of  vital  importance  in  a  young  community.  In  1872, 
Mother  Ascension  was  charged  by  Father  Sorin 
with  the  government  of  the  sisters  at  Notre  Dame, 
and  during  the  years  of  partial  separation  from  the 
Mother-House,  her  sympathies  were  with  the  pro- 
posed new  branch.  Strong  faith,  intense  love  of 
Holy  Cross,  and  a  deep  spirit  of  prayer  were  marked 


170  A  Story  of  Fifty  Ysars 

characteristics  to  the  end.  The  cross  above  her 
humble  grave  at  St.  Mary's  bears  the  date  May  1, 
1901. 

Mother  Ursula,  for  many  years  the  Prefect  of 
Discipline  at  St.  Mary's, — and  a  prefect  respected 
and  loved, — was  also  for  a  short  time  Mistress  of 
Novices,  hence  a  member  of  the  home  council.  Her 
gentleness,  her  unobtrusiveness,  her  motherly  care 
of  the  students,  are  edifying  memories  to  those  who 
were  in  her  charge,  and  many  a  quaint  story  told 
in  broken  English  and  French  has  Mother  Ursula 
for  centre  of  interest.  She  passed  to  her  reward 
at  Notre  Dame,  July  23,  1898,  after  a  long  illness, 
and  rests  at  her  beloved  St.  Mary's. 

From  July,  1854,  to  March,  1901,  is  a  long  period 
of  service,  and  it  is  the  measure  of  Mother  M.  Eliz- 
abeth's years  as  a  Sister  of  the  Holy  Cross.  It  was 
at  Bertrand  that  Harriet  Redman  Lilly  entered  the 
community,  and  from  the  first  her  exceptional  musi- 
cal gifts  were  fully  dedicated  to  the  Congregation 
of  her  choice.  Mother  Elizabeth,  as  she  was  affec- 
tionately called  by  her  sisters  and  by  the  hundreds 
of  pupils  who  learned  more  than  music  from  her 
instructions  and  example,  was  a  remarkable  char- 
acter.   She  was  born  of  Anglican  parents  in  Sussex, 


St.  Mary's  Honor-Roli.  171 

England,  in  1820,  and  numbered  among  her  rela- 
tives Dr.  S.  Arnold,  who  for  more  than  sixty  years 
was  organist  at  Petworth,  and  Dr.  George  Arnold, 
a  long  time  organist  at  the  Cathedral  of  Winches- 
ter. For  upward  of  forty  years.  Mother  Elizabeth 
was  in  charge  of  the  Department  of  Music  at  St. 
Mary's,  and  until  forced  through  failing  strength 
to  give  up  active  work,  she  was  a  model  of  fidelity 
to  duty.  At  various  times  during  the  early  years, 
she  held  offices  in  the  general  administration,  never 
neglecting,  however,  her  beloved  art.  Nowhere  did 
her  soul  of  music  find  more  fitting  expression  than 
when  she  presided  at  the  organ  in  the  chapel.  Her 
magnetic  touch  is  lovingly  remembered  by  those  who 
stood  by  her  in  the  choir,  and  who  carry  in  heart 
and  mind  a  picture  of  her  frail  figure,  seemingly 
a  part  of  the  instrument  that  responded  to  her  touch, 
and  close  beside  her,  her  daughter.  Sister  M.  Ce- 
cilia, also  an  artist  in  the  world  of  tone,  and  like  her 
mother,  a  Sister  of  the  Holy  Cross.  Sister  CeciUa, 
beloved  of  all,  was  called  to  her  reward,  April  14, 
1885,  six  years  after  the  death  at  Notre  Dame  of 
her  equally  gifted  brother,  the  Rev.  Father  Lilly, 
C.  S.  C.  Mother  Elizabeth's  mother,  Mrs.  Harriet 
Redman,  also  made  her  home  at  St.  Mary's,  though 


172  A  Story  op  Fifty  Y^rs 

not  a  religious,  and  is  buried  within  the  enclosure 
of  the  convent  cemetery. 

All  through  the  years  this  family  of  remarkably 
fine  musicians  lent  a  prestige  to  St.  Mary's  by  their 
gifts  and  their  personality;  distinguished  visitors 
to  the  Academy  always  carried  away  delightful  im- 
pressions of  their  genius,  and  the  records  tell  of  the 
pleasure  experienced  by  visitors  of  note, — Edwin 
Booth  for  one,  whose  wife  was  a  pupil  at  St.  Mary's, 
— in  meeting  Mother  Elizabeth,  and  on  hearing  her 
and  Sister  Cecilia  interpret  the  great  tone-masters. 
The  kinship  of  artistic  natures  seldom  fails  to  make 
itself  felt.  The  closing  chord  of  Mother  Elizabeth's 
harmonious  life  was  struck  in  1901,  but  the  memory 
of  her  devotedness  adds  a  beauty  and  a  harmony  to 
the  lives  of  those  who  are  carrying  on  the  work  to 
which  she  so  earnestly  dedicated  herself  for  nearly 
half  a  century. 

During  the  hush  of  the  annual  retreat,  July,  1901, 
death  came  to  one  held  dear,  and  through  the  still- 
ness the  sad  tolling  of  the  convent  bell  sounded 
forth  its  message, — Mother  M.  Siena,  Mistress  of 
Novices  and  Member  of  the  General  Council  of  Ad- 
ministration, is  no  more.  On  July  11th,  her  great, 
ardent  soul  went  to  its  reward,  and  on  the  13th, 


St.  Mary's  Honor-Roli.  173 

her  solemn  burial  took  place.  Mother  M.  Siena 
(Julia  Murphy)  was  fifty-one  years  of  age,  thirty- 
one  of  which  were  spent  in  the  religious  life,  in 
which  she  fully  consecrated  to  God's  service  the 
noble  gifts  of  mind  and  heart  with  which  He  had 
endowed  her.  Sacred  Heart  Academy,  Fort  Wayne, 
Indiana;  St.  Mary's  Academy,  Austin,  Texas;  St. 
Mary's  Academy,  Salt  Lake  City,  and  the  Novitiate 
at  the  Mother-House  were  the  scenes  of  her  labors ; 
and  whether  she  was  engaged  in  teaching  music  or 
charged  with  directing  others,  her  actions  were  ever 
characterized  by  a  truly  admirable  large-hearted- 
ness.  The  following  extract  from  an  editorial  no- 
ticeof  her  death  in  one  of  the  Salt  Lake  City  papers, 
embodies  Mother  Siena's  characteristic  qualities : 

Though  secluded  from  the  world,  she  endeared  herself  to 
all  who  came  within  the  circle  of  her  acqaintance.  Without 
guile,  she  was  always  sincere  and  honest  in  her  expressions. 
Her  earnest  nature,  her  straightforward  manner,  her  whole- 
heartedness  won  for  her  the  respect  and  admiration  of  all. 
Visitors,  after  short  interviews,  could  see  in  the  nun  wear- 
ing the  humble  garb  of  the  religious,  a  highly  cultivated 
mind,  with  varied  knowledge  and  a  sympathetic  heart  that 
was  deeply  moved  by  the  woes  of  the  world  and  ever  ready 
to  assist  those  who  were  in  need. 

Non-Catholic    student,     convert,     sister,     vocal 
teacher,  and  Directress  of  the  Academy, — thus  may 


174  A  Story  of  Fifty  Years 

be  epitomized  Mother  Lucretia's  outward  life  at  St. 
Mary's ;  a  woman  of  remarkable  faith,  a  truly  spir- 
itual woman  of  high  nobility  of  mind,  a  faithful  Sis- 
ter of  the  Holy  Cross, — thus  may  be  summarized 
the  characteristics  of  her  inner  life.  In  1865,  Alida 
Fuller  was  one  of  the  graduating  class  who  bade 
farewell  to  St.  Mary's,  her  Alma  Mater.  She  at 
once  entered  upon  a  bright  social  life  only  to  find 
that  it  met  none  of  the  aspirations  of  her  mind  and 
soul,  and  though  surrounded  by  everything  that 
wealth  and  position  could  give,  she  longed  for  a 
life  of  consecration  to  God.  In  1867,  at  the  age  of 
twenty-two,  she  enrolled  herself  as  an  aspirant  to 
membership  in  the  Congregation  of  the  Sisters  of 
the  Holy  Cross.  Strongly  opposed  by  her  father 
and  brother.  Sister  Lucretia  had  much  to  contend 
against,  but  never  for  a  moment  did  she  falter,  and 
her  piety  and  fortitude  were  an  edification  to  all. 
For  many  years  she  was  a  teacher  where  her  girl- 
hood days  were  spent,  and  for  five  years,  1881- 
1886,  Directress  of  the  Academy.  Later  she 
was  Superior  of  Holy  Rosary  Academy,  Wood- 
land, California,  for  nine  years,  during  which 
time  she  had  the  mournful  consolation  of 
attendance    upon     her     beloved     father     in    his 


St.  Mary's  Honor-Roi.l  175 

last  hours.  Judge  Fuller  did  not  formally  em- 
brace the  faith  chosen  by  his  daughter.  This  was 
a  sorrow  to  her,  but  she  had  the  comfort  of  know- 
ing that  he  was  entirely  satisfied  with  her  choice  of 
life  and  was  happy  in  her  happiness.  Sacred  Heart 
Academy,  Ogden,  and  St.  Mary's  Academy,  Salt 
Lake  City,  respectively,  were  under  her  wise  di- 
rection from  1895  until  the  year  of  her  death,  1903. 
Mother  Lucretia  was  a  woman  of  unusual  ability 
and  energy,  of  great  devotedness  and  faith,  and,  as 
one  who  knew  her  well  expressed  it,  she  labored  as 
if  all  depended  upon  human  efifort  and  prayed  as  if 
all  depended  upon  prayer.  She  was  a  double  loss 
to  the  community,  for  she  had  reached  the  years 
when  the  knowledge  that  enriches  life  was  hers, 
and  when  her  soul,  through  suffering,  had  learned 
the  wisdom  that  makes  for  strength,  and  had  seen 
the  vision  that  enlightens  the  path  of  those  who 
seek  the  ways  of  justice. 

On  the  morning  of  April  27th,  1900,  after  receiv- 
ing the  last  Sacraments,  Mother  M.  Annunciata, 
Mother  General  of  the  Sisters  of  the  Holy  Cross, 
departed  this  life.  She  was  surrounded  by  her  spir- 
itual children,  whose  tender  ministrations  eased  the 
pangs  of  a  long  and  trying  illness.    Mother  Annun- 


176  A  Story  of  Fifty  Ykars 

ciata  was  the  first  Superior  General  to  die  while  in 
active  discharge  of  her  office,  but  her  death  brought 
mourning,  not  only  to  the  Mother-House,  but  to  the 
missions,  far  and  near,  under  the  care  of  the  Sisters 
of  the  Holy  Cross.  Many  among  them  who  have 
spent  their  strength  in  God's  work,  hold  in  loving 
memory  the  picture  of  the  happy,  pious  young  girl, 
Margaret  McShefifery,  who,  in  1860,  left  Philadel- 
phia for  St.  Mary's,  filled  with  the  desire  to  conse- 
crate her  life  to  religion.  They  remember  the  quick 
development  of  her  unusually  gifted  mind  and  gen- 
erous heart  under  the  influence  of  training  and  en- 
vironment, until  she  stood  an  ideal  religious  teacher. 
Still  a  young  sister,  Mother  Annunciata  was  called 
in  1872,  to  be  Directress  of  the  Academy,  an  office 
which  she  wisely  administered  for  nine  years.  In 
1881,  obedience  assigned  her  to  duty  in  Salt  Lake 
City,  and  one  year  later  she  was  transferred  to 
Sacred  Heart  Academy,  Ogden,  where,  as  Superior, 
she  devoted  herself,  heart  and  mind,  to  the  cause  of 
religious  education.  Re-elected,  in  1889,  to  the 
office  of  Directress  of  Studies  at  the  Mother-House, 
she  returned  to  her  old  duties  with  the  enthusiasm 
of  early  years  and  a  widened  and  deepened  experi- 
ence. ,  .    .  -. *; 


St.  Mary's  Honor-Roi,i.  177 

In  the  eulogy  pronounced  at  her  funeral  we  find 
her  views  of  education  outlined  in  the  following 
extract : 

Mother  Annunciata's  idea  of  education  was  religious  train- 
ing-, and  her  constant  endeavor  was  to  render  it  thorough 
and  complete.  In  her  plan  a  Christian  character  was  the 
foundation  of  all  graces  and  refinements  and  accomplish- 
ments. And  when  it  devolved  upon  her  to  train  others  to 
carry  on  the  work  in  which  she  had  so  long  been  engaged, 
she  never  tired  of  inculcating  the  importance  of  the  Little 
Catechism.  *****  gj^e  ^^d  made  a  thorough  study  of  the 
Church's  dogmas,  and  had  a  firm  grasp  of  the  philosophical 
and  theological  principles  on  which  they  rest.  She  fully 
realized  the  importance  of  solid  catechetical  instruction,  and 
during  the  years  when  she  was  Directress  of  the  Academy, 
she  claimed  it  as  her  privilege  to  give  the  regular  bi-weekly 
conferences  on  Christian  Doctrine. 

Mother  Annunciata's  charity  was  broad  and  far-reaching, 
active  and  practically  helpful.  I  have  seen  eyes  brighten 
and  then  grow  dim  at  the  mention  of  her  name,  which 
doubtless  recalled  the  memory  of  some  golden  deed  of  gen- 
erous compassion. 

In  1895,  the  voice  of  the  General  Chapter  elected 
Mother  Annunciata  to  the  office  of  Mother  General 
of  the  Sisters  of  the  Holy  Cross,  entrusting  to  her 
management  the  temporal  and  spiritual  interests  of 
the  growing  community.  Within  a  few  months, 
however,  her  health  became  seriously  impaired,  and 
it  was  no  small  trial  to  her  to  find  herself,  though  in 


12— 


178  A  Story  oi^  Fifty  Years 

a  position  to  do  much  good  for  the  community  she  so 
loved,  rendered  powerless  by  reason  of  bodily  in- 
firmity. 

True  daughter  of  the  Cross,  Mother  Annunciata 
knew  the  bitterness  of  trial,  of  sacrifice;  but  her 
nature  was  true  to  her  name — the  mystery  of  hope, 
the  Annunciation — and  her  life  held  the  Cross  at 
heart  as  did  the  Angel's  message.  She  loved  the 
spring-time,  the  warm  sunshine,  and  the  birds  and 
blossoms  of  the  young  year,  and  those  who  had 
hoped  that  the  return  of  the  bright  days  would 
bring  renewed  strength  to  their  beloved  Mother, 
saw  instead  the  spring  weaving  a  covering  of  green- 
sward and  early  flowers  over  her  last  resting-place. 
There  is  no  need  of  the  written  tribute  to  keep  her 
memory  alive;  she  lives  in  many  hearts  that  love 
her.  From  the  earliest  sixties.  Mother  Annunci- 
ata's  strong  personality  made  itself  felt ;  and  in  the 
memories  of  all  the  years,  there  is  heard  her  sweet, 
clear  voice  that  poured  her  heart  out  in  the  prayer 
of  music.  True  indeed  was  it,  as  a  friend  said  of 
her:  "Mother  Annunciata  had  a  passion  for  per- 
fection in  education  and  life,  and  to  the  day  of  her 
death  her  soft  voice  never  lost  its  power  of  stimulus 
and  inspiration.      She  was  a  loyal  friend,  a  wise 


St.  Mary's  Honor-Roll  179 

counsellor,  and  the  very  heart  of  truth  dwelt  in 
her." 

How  inadequate  must  any  notice  of  the  departed 
members  of  a  religious  community  be!  To  know 
them  fully,  to  appreciate  their  power,  their  real 
worth,  one  must  have  lived  within  the  sphere  of 
their  influence.  This  is  true  whether  we  speak  of 
those  in  places  of  responsibility  or  of  those  in  the 
ranks.  To  discern  the  qualities  that  made  for  some 
of  the  influences  cited,  is  not  unfrequently  to  recog- 
nize defects,  for  in  the  religious  life  the  human  is 
not  entirely  eliminated ;  rather  is  it  purified,  uplifted 
and  pressed  into  the  service  of  souls ;  therefore  do 
we  lovingly  say:  Requiescant  in  pace!  But  the 
honor-roll  of  the  Congregation  of  the  Sisters  of  the 
Holy  Cross,  with  its  three  hundred  noble  dead,  is, 
nevertheless,  to  those  who  survive,  a  litany  of  ven- 
erated names,  each  one  of  which  calls  forth  the  in- 
vocation,— ora  pro  nobis. 


A  Period  of  Quiet  Progress. 
^  #  ^ 

A  SURVEY  of  the  various  periods  which  make  up 
the  history  of  our  country  emphasizes  the  fact  that 
those  most  eventful  were  not  always  the  most  im- 
portant. By  eventful  is  understood  abounding  in 
public  actions  that  seem  to  be  epoch-making  in  their 
force  and  their  effects.  The  same  holds  true  in  the 
history  of  an  organization;  long  periods  of  quiet 
progress,  unmarked  by  crises  of  any  kind,  show  a 
society  in  its  normal  state,  and  give  a  better  idea 
of  its  qualities  inherent  and  acquired ;  it  is  in  such 
times,  too,  that  resources  are  husbanded,  and  a  re- 
serve fund  of  power  provided  to  meet  any  emergen- 
cies that  may  arise.  Such  a  period  of  quiet  prog- 
ress were  the  years  following  the  Silver  Jubilee  of 
St.  Mary's,  years  deep-rooted  in  the  past,  and  draw- 
ing from  it  the  strength  of  a  steady  growth  toward 
better  and  higher  things.  The  first  quarter  of  a 
century  of  the  community's  existence  was  indeed 
eventful;    it  included  the  foundations  at  Bertrand 

180 


A  Pe:riod  o?  Quie:t  Progress  181 

and  St.  Mary's,  the  organization  of  the  sisterhood, 
the  outHning  of  plans  of  work,  the  formulation  of 
Rules  and  Constitutions.  Then  began  a  new  era. 
The  pioneer  days  were  over,  the  desert  had  been 
made  to  blossom  like  the  rose,  and  a  younger  gener- 
ation of  religious  had  come  into  the  vineyard  of  the 
Lord.  There  was  much  for  them  to  do,  but  to  gar- 
ner ripened  sheaves  carries  with  it  a  compensation 
often  denied  to  the  sower  of  the  seed. 

The  running  chronicle  of  this  period  must  be 
premised  with  the  reminder  that  in  our  brief  record 
of  Father  Sorin's  life  and  in  that  of  Mother  An- 
gela, as  also  in  the  chapter  dealing  with  the  rela- 
tions between  the  central  organization  in  France 
and  St.  Mary's,  and  between  Notre  Dame  and  St. 
Mary's,  mention  has  been  made  of  matters  belong- 
ing chronologically  to  this  part  of  our  narrative, 
but,  inasmuch  as  the  subjects  there  touched  upon 
were  dealt  with  by  the  administrative  body  of  the 
Congregation  during  the  years  now  in  review,  an 
occasional  passing  repetition  is  not  to  be  avoided. 

From  1882  to  1895,  Mother  M.  Augusta  was 
charged  with  the  general  administration  of  affairs 
of  the  community,  with  the  title  of  Mother  Supe- 
rior.   From  1889,  however,  according  to  the  Con- 


182  A  Story  of  Fifty  Yfars 

stitutions,  then  temporarily  approved  by  Rome,  she 
was  called  the  Mother  General.  Only  deference  to 
Mother  Augusta's  beautiful  humihty  restrains  the 
grateful  eulogy  demanded  by  her  wise  administra- 
tion. Only  those  who  know  her  gentle  firmness, 
her  entire  devotedness  to  the  community,  and  who 
followed  her  career  through  phases  of  the  life  of 
the  Congregation  when  as  much  depended  upon 
attitude  of  mind  as  upon  action,  can  fully  realize 
what  her  government,  her  personality,  meant. 
Mother  Augusta's  Council  comprised  Mother  M. 
Genevieve,  who  was  first  assistant  from  1878  to 
1895,  and  at  various  times  during  her  term  of  of- 
fice. Mother  M.  Angela,  Mother  Annunciata, 
Mother  Lucretia,  Mother  Colette,  Mother  Praxedes 
and  Mother  Sabina. 

The  check  which  conventual  custom  places  upon 
public  recognition  of  the  services  of  religious  still 
living,  forces  a  brief  digression  here,  the  object  of 
which  is  to  express  a  regret  that  record  may  not 
be  made  in  these  pages  of  many  devoted  sisters 
whose  life  and  labors  have  merited  the  grateful  re- 
gard of  the  Congregation.  The  history  of  the  com- 
munity owes  much,  for  instance,  to  Mother  Com- 
passion, one  of  the  pioneer  members,  for  years  Mis- 


ST.  JOSEPH'S  HALL,  ACADEMY  AND  NOVITIATE. 


M     m 


182  A  Story  of  F'ifty  Y^ars 

stitutions,  then  temporarily  approved  by  Rome,  she 
was  called  the  Mother  General.  Only  deference  to 
Mother  Augusta's  beautiful  humility  restrains  the 
grateful  eulogy  demanded  by  her  wise  administra- 
tion. Only  those  who  know  her  gentle  firmness, 
her  entire  devotedness  to  the  community,  and  who 
followed  her  career  through  phases  of  the  life  -A 
the  Congregation  when  as  much  depended  upon 
attitude  of  mind  as  upon  action,  can  fully  realize 
what  her  government,  her  personality,  meant. 
Motharr  i!5i«^«ii8a<iflAJCHMicik'3K)i;fl$)JKi5«fe^MatheTrzM . 
Genevieve,  who  wa^  uisi  assistant  from  1878  to 
1895,  and  at  various  times  during  her  tf^'^'  '■'  of- 
fice, Mother  M  Anov^b  Mr-«?ier  *  •  > 
Mother  Lucret,  ,  ies 
and  Mother  Sabina. 

The  check  which  conventual  custom  places  upon 
public  recognition  of  the  services  of  religious  still 
living,  forces  a  brief  digression  here,  the  object  of 
which  is  to  express  a  regret  that  record  may  not 
be  made  in  these  pages  of  many  devoted  sisters 
whose  life  and  labors  have  merited  the  grateful  re- 
gard of  the  Congregation.  The  history  of  the  com- 
munity owes  much,  for  instance,  to  Mother  Com- 
passion, one  of  the  pioneer  members,  for  years  Mis- 


A  PERIOD  OF  Quiet  Progress  183 

tress  of  Novices  at  the  Mother-House;  to  Mother 
Genevieve,  to  Sister  Praxedes  and  to  Sister  Am- 
brose, all  at  one  time  honored  members  of  the  gen- 
eral administration.  But  perhaps  it  is  the  sinking 
of  individual  experience  into  the  collective  experi- 
ence of  an  institution  that  gives  it  its  strength, 
making  it,  in  a  sense,  the  only  complete  unity. 

As  a  result  of  the  impetus  of  the  early  years  and 
the  full  and  willing  collaboration  of  every  member 
of  Holy  Cross  in  later  times,  the  equipment  of  St. 
Mary's  as  Mother-House  and  educational  centre 
gradually  grew  in  extent  and  usefulness.  As  to 
buildings,  addition  after  addition  was  made;  first 
the  wing  running  west  from  the  music-hall ;  then  a 
southern  extension.  In  1886,  the  beautiful  chapel 
was  begun,  and  on  August  29,  1888,  its  altar  of 
sacrifice  was  consecrated  by  the  Right  Reverend  J. 
Dwenger.  A  year  later  the  clock-tower  portion  of 
the  convent  was  erected,  followed  in  1892  by  St 
Angela's  Plall,  and  in  the  next  year,  1893,  by  the 
present  novitiate  building. 

In  keeping  with  the  material  progress  was  the 
advance  made  in  educational  lines.  The  summer- 
schools  were  a  source  of  inspiration  as  well  as  of 
instruction  to  the  teaching  body,  while  in  the  hos- 


184  A  Story  oi^  Fi^ty  Ye:ars 

pitals  the  demands  of  the  times  were  met  by  skilled 
nurses  and  pharmacists.       In  these  years  Father 
Sorin  was  still  the  ever-faithful  encourager  of  all 
earnest  effort.    The  novices  were  spurred  on  by  his 
exhortations,  the  professed  sisters  had  the  benefit  of 
his  wise  counsels,  and  to  the  students  at  St.  Mary's 
he  continued  to  be  friend  and  guide  and  mentor. 
To  his  relations  with  the  missions  may  be  traced 
much  of  their  success,  for  Father  General  and  his 
co-laborers  in  governing  the  community  realized 
the  importance  of  all  the  foundations,  particularly 
the  parochial  schools.  His  instructions  and  letters 
to  the  sisters  on  the  spiritual  value  of  their  work, 
and  the  deference  due  to  the  wishes  of  the  pastors 
in  charge  of  the  schools,  showed  that  he  had  given 
the  subject  not  only  careful  study  but  solicitous 
thought  and  earnest  prayer.     A  serious  view  as 
regards  the  responsibility  of  the  teacher  is  the  only 
one  that  insures  even  a  measure  of  success,  and  this 
was  ever  held  before  the   religious  both   at  the 
Mother-House  and  on  the  missions.     Father  Gen- 
eral's directions  to  the  sisters  embodied  sound  prin- 
ciples of  teaching,  and  in  the  letters  of  this  period 
we  find  valuable  suggestions  which  show  not  only 
his  own  views,  but  those  of  the  community,  on  edu- 


A  PERIOD  OF  Quiet  Progress  185 

cation.    In  a  circular,  dated  August  29,  1880,  we 

read: 

What  I  want  in  this  circular  is  to  bring  our  whole  family 
to  a  new  and  lively  sense  of  our  duty  on  the  vital  question 
of  religious  education.  The  daily  and  universal  demand  that 
Catholic  educators  should  not  be  satisfied  with  the  mere 
name  of  Catholic  institutions,  but  should  more  amply  prove 
the  real  and  thorough  Catholicity  of  the  education  imparted 
in  their  schools,  cannot  be  disregarded.  Even  what  was 
deemed  sufficient  a  few  years  ago  does  not  now  meet  the 
wants  of  an  age,  remarkable,  above  all  others,  for  its  trend 
towards  infidelity  and  materialism.  These  tendencies  can- 
not be  resisted  any  longer  save  by  a  superior  training  in  the 
positive  teachings  and  moral  habits  of  religion,  without 
which  Catholic  education  is  only  a  name.  Understand  me 
well:  to-day,  more  than  ever  before,  Catholic  education 
means  for  our  youth  a  knowledge  of  divine  truths,  more 
comprehensive  and  developed,  more  visibly  sustained  by 
daily  Christian  practices;  practices  cheerfully  accepted  and 
faithfully  observed  as  an  indispensable  evidence  of  their 
initiation  to  a  Catholic  life,  of  which  they  will  feel  proud 
all  their  life,  and  not  ashamed  or  tired,  as  so  many  are  when 
entering  upon  their  duties  in  society,  evidently  because  their 
early  training  never  established  a  foundation  upon  which 
anything  solid  might  rest. 

Of  every  child  confided  to  us  by  Catholic  parents  we 
must,  first  of  all,  make  a  practical  Catholic  for  life.  This 
is  our  first  duty;  to  overlook  or  discharge  it  negligently 
would  be  a  heinous  offense  to  society  and  a  serious  sin 
against  God.  We  know  by  heart  the  Divine  warning :  "Woe 
to  him  who  does  negligently  the  work  of  God !"    Each  time 


186  A  Story  op  Fipty  Y^ars 

a  child  is  presented  and  received  in  our  schools,  a  contract 
is  entered  upon,  with  a  clear  obligation  on  our  side  to  train 
that  immortal  soul  for  the  Court  of  Heaven.  To  one  assum- 
ing such  a  responsibility,  that  child  shall  be,  the  whole  year, 
an  object  of  constant  solicitude;  otherwise,  there  is  wanting 
even  a  sense  of  common  honesty;  with  such  a  charge  no 
thoughtful  religious  can  trifle. 

In  one  of  his  letters  of  a  year  later,  Father  Sorin 
inculcates  the  filial  virtues  in  so  positive  a  manner 
as  to  make  one  feel  that  he  had  the  prophetic  in- 
stinct and  saw  the  trend  of  our  day  towards  the 
breaking"  of  the  home-ties.  His  teaching  was  as 
follows : 

It  seems  to  me  that  one  of  the  greatest  services  we  may 
render  to  society  at  large  is  to  return  youths  to  their  fami- 
lies, not  only  with  improved  minds,  but  above  all,  with 
hearts  so  enlarged  by  temporary  separation  and  a  constant 
attention  on  the  part  of  their  teachers  to  the  cultivation  and 
perfection  of  their  first  and  best  affections,  as  to  convince 
their  dear  parents  and  home  circle  that  they  return  to  them 
more  affectionate  than  they  left  them  a  few  months  before. 

This  is  not  simply  sentimental;  there  is  a  philosophy  in 
this.  In  such  a  faithless  age  as  ours,  one  of  the  surest  and 
safest  means  to  prevent  the  collapse  of  society  is  to  bind, 
and  to  hold  more  and  more  strongly  bound,  the  child's  heart 
to  the  parent's  heart,  to  the  family,  to  the  home,  to  primitive 
and  innocent  affections.  Any  real  educator  with  a  compre- 
hensive mind  must  feel  that  there  is  nothing  so  powerful  in 
our  days,  in  order  to  bring  a  student  to  the  prompt  fulfil- 
ment of  duty,  as  to  keep  prominently  before  him  the  joy  of 


A  PERIOD  OF  QuiKT  Progress  187 

delighting,  or  the  pain  of  grieving  the  heart  of  a  dear  father 
or  mother  at  home.  But,  as  Httle  passions  and  difficulties 
arise,  this  motive  must  gain  constantly  in  weight  and  in 
efficiency  from  an  ever-increasing  sentiment  of  filial  attach- 
ment in  the  child's  breast  towards  loving  parents  at  home. 

Such  is  the  training  a  child  must  receive  at  school — the 
full  observance  of  the  Fourth  Commandment.  A  young 
heart  formed  after  this  precept,  growing  daily  in  love  for 
his  parents,  will  be  blessed,  not  only  with  a  long  life,  but 
with  success  through  life  and  honor  and  glory  to  his  own 
name  and  family.  Hence,  again,  let  us  make  it  a  point,  day 
by  day,  to  keep  the  children's  affections  towards  their  par- 
ents more  and  more  real  and  tender  as  a  most  prolific  source 
of  true  happiness  at  home,  a  security  for  society  at-  large, 
and  a  strong  barrier  against  the  contagion  of  seductive 
examples. 

The  growing  reputation  of  St.  Mary's  was  a 
gratification  to  Father  Sorin,  and  a  source  of  deep 
consolation  to  those  charged  with  its  affairs.  New 
friends  were  made  and  old  friends  remained  loyal. 
Encouragement  and  assistance  were  not  wanting, 
and  in  this  atmosphere  of  peace  and  good  will,  of 
honest  and  intelligent  effort,  there  was  a  steady 
progress  in  all  that  made  for  the  general  good  of 
the  Congregation.  It  was  of  the  art-work  of  this 
decade  that  Eliza  Allen  Starr,  an  ever-faithful 
friend,  wrote  most  glowingly,  and  of  the  music  de- 
partment of  these  years  that  Margaret  Sullivan, 


188  A  Story  of  Fifty  Years 

always  alive  to  the  possibilities  of  the  community, 
gave  enthusiastic  praise  in  the  leaaing  journals. 

But  in  1887  the  shadows  gathered  over  Holy 
Cross — or  was  it  God's  light? — and  Mother  An- 
gela went  to  her  eternal  reward.  With  her  life  was 
snapped  a  golden  link  that  bound  the  growing  com- 
munity with  the  past,  and  those  who  had  known  her 
and  labored  with  her  and  loved  her,  never  wholly 
passed  out  of  the  shadow  of  her  death. 

1888  marked  an  event  in  the  history  of  the  Con- 
gregation, as  well  as  in  the  life  of  Father  Sorin, 
namely,  the  fiftieth  anniversary  of  his  ordination. 
This  Golden  Jubilee  was  a  blessed  day  for  all. 
Mother-House  and  missions  vied  in  offering  grate- 
ful homage.  It  was  with  joy  and  pride  that  St. 
Mary's  welcomed  the  guests  who  came  to  honor  the 
occasion  —  His  Eminence  Cardinal  Gibbons  and 
other  distinguished  members  of  the  hierarchy.  And 
as  grateful  regard  twined  laurels  for  Father  Gen- 
eral, love  wove  with  them,  for  sake  of  the  sweet 
past,  rosemary  and  rue. 

With  the  approval  of  the  Constitutions  and  Rules 
of  the  Congregation  in  1889,  there  came  a  new 
sense  of  responsibility.  It  was  as  if  one  long  wait- 
ing in  the  vestibule  of  a  temple  had  beheld  the  doors 


ST.  ANGELA'S  HALL  (.GYMNASIUM). 


"^S^. 


188  A  Story  of  Fifty  Years 

always  alive  to  the  possibilities  of  the  community, 
gave  enthusiastic  praise  in  the  leading  journals. 

But  in  1887  the  shadows  gathered  over  Holy 
Cross — or  was  it  God's  light? — and  Mother  An- 
gela went  to  her  eternal  reward.  With  her  life  was 
snapped  a  golden  link  that  bound  the  growing-  com- 
munity with  the  past,  and  those  who  had  k  :r 
and  labored  with  her  and  loved  her,  never  wholly 
passed  out  of  the  shadow  of  her  death. 

1888  marked  an  event  in  the  history  of  the  Con- 
gregation,  as  iWII^Fffle^ft^?.?f^«SftlV--^rin, 
namely,  the  fiftieth  anniversary  of  his  ordination. 
This  Golden  Jubilee  was  a  blessed  day  for  all 
Mother-House  and  •   •    '■  ^  ■^■* 

ful  homage.     It  w.,  ■■■  ,  t- 

Mary's  welcomed  the  guests  who  came  to  honor  the 
occasion  —  His  Eminence  Cardinal  Gibbons  and 
other  distinguished  members  of  the  hierarchy.  And 
as  grateful  regard  twined  laurels  for  Father  Gen- 
eral, love  wove  with  them,  for  sake  of  the  sweet 
past,  rosemary  and  rue. 

With  the  approval  of  the  Consiituiions  and  Rules 
of  the  Congregation  in  1889,  there  came  a  new 
sense  of  responsibility.  It  was  as  if  one  long  wait- 
ing in  the  vestibule  of  a  temple  had  beheld  the  doors 


A  PERIOD  oif  Qui^T  Progre:ss  189 

swing  open  and  had  been  bidden  to  enter.  There 
in  the  great  body  of  the  Church,  Holy  Cross  took 
its  place,  and  though  a  humble  place,  the  atmos- 
phere of  peace,  of  security  about  it,  called  forth 
from  the  heart  of  every  Sister  of  the  Congregation 
the  words  of  the  Disciples  of  old,  "Lord,  it  is  good 
for  us  to  be  here."  Responsibility  is  a  great  stim- 
ulus, and  with  the  new  mark  of  trust  in  the  com- 
munity shown  by  the  Sovereign  Pontiff,  Leo  XIIL, 
an  era  of  renewed  effort  began,  and  the  impulse  was 
felt  along  all  lines.  Partial  or  inadequate  achieve- 
ment, the  only  thing  possible  under  former  condi- 
tions, no  longer  satisfied.  New  methods  of  peda- 
gogy were  adopted  and  the  science  and  art  of  teach- 
ing went  hand  in  hand.  It  was  Mother  Annun- 
ciata,  who  as  Directress  of  the  Academy,  inaugu- 
rated the  upward  educational  movement  which 
marks  St.  Mary's  of  to-day,  and  the  structure  of 
higher  education  built  by  her,  had  as  foundation  a 
thorough  training  in  Christian  Doctrine. 

Important  as  are  the  qualities  that  mark  the  effi- 
cient teacher  in  the  school,  the  skilled  nurse  in  the 
hospital,  more  important  are  the  qualities  that  dis- 
tinguish the  good  religious.  Certain  traits  are  com- 
mon to  all  communities,  but  each  Order  has  its  own 


190  A  Story  o^  Fifty  Years 

characteristics,  its  own  spirit,  its  own  special  devo- 
tions. These  distinctive  marks  seem  to  emphasize 
themselves  in  times  of  crises,  whether  of  trial  or  of 
triumph.  In  this  joyful  event  of  the  Congregation's 
approval,  truly  an  event  in  this  period  of  quiet  prog- 
ress, the  Sisters  of  the  Holy  Cross  proved  anew 
that  the  characteristic  of  the  sisterhood  is  devoted- 
ness  to  duty,  the  spirit  of  the  community  that  of  loy- 
alty, and  the  special  devotions  of  the  Congregation 
love  of  the  Sacred  Heart  in  the  Sacrament  of  the 
Altar  and  tender  love  for  Mary,  the  Mother  of  God. 
In  1864  the  Society  of  Perpetual  Adoration  was 
instituted  at  St.  Mary's,  Bertrand,  and  since  then 
it  has  been  the  privilege  of  the  community  to  be 
ever  represented  at  the  Divine  Court  by  one  or 
more  of  its  members.  This  Perpetual  Adoration 
is  an  important  factor  in  the  history  of  the  Congre- 
gation, an  influence  more  potent  in  the  work  of  fifty 
years  than  any  other,  material  or  intellectual.  The 
other  special  devotion  of  the  Sisters  of  the  Holy 
Cross  has  ever  been  to  Our  Lady  in  her  Immaculate 
Conception  and  in  her  Seven  Dolors.  Father  Gen- 
eral was  a  faithful  knight  of  the  Blessed  Virgin, 
and  his  spiritual  children  were  one  with  him  in  love 
for  their  Oueen,     How  much  love  for  Mary  has 


A  Period  o^  Quiet  Progress  191 

had  to  do  with  the  upbuilding  of  the  Congregation 
we  shall  never  know,  but  we  cannot  be  far  wrong  if 
we  attribute  to  her  sweet  influence  any  good  that 
has  been  accomplished.  Love  for  God  and  love  for 
His  Mother  have  permeated  the  teaching  of  the 
sisters,  and  the  chief  beauty  of  St.  Mary's  is  that  it 
is  the  dwelling  place  of  Him  whose  delight  is  to  be 
with  the  children  of  men.  The  Papal  approval  of  the 
Congregation,  then,  gave  St.  Mary's  new  cause  for 
gratitude,  new  obligations  with  the  privileges  as- 
sured by  the  Church,  and  new  opportunities  for 
proving  devoted  and  loyal. 

St.  Mary's  had  the  honor,  June,  1893,  of  enter- 
taining for  the  first  time.  His  Eminence  Cardinal 
SatoUi,  then  Apostolic  Delegate,  and  nature  and  art 
combined  to  make  the  outward  welcome  commens- 
urate with  the  feelings  of  all.  His  Eminence  was 
accompanied  to  the  Convent  and  Academy  by 
Father  General,  though  he  was  then  in  feeble  health. 
This  function  was  almost  the  last  important  one 
that  he  attended.  In  October  of  the  same  year  he 
rested  from  his  long  and  fruitful  labors,  and  the 
last  to^meet  his  dying  gaze  were  faithful  children 
of  the  Congregation  he  had  guided  and  guarded  so 
^ell — Sisters  of  the  Holy  Cross.    His  life  closed  a 


192  A  Story  o?  Fifty  Ye:ars 

long  chapter  in  the  missionary  annals  of  the  Church 
in  the  United  States,  and  it  closed,  too,  a  most  im- 
portant epoch  in  the  history  of  the  community.  The 
last  blessing  of  the  devoted  Father  on  his  children 
not  only  set  the  seal  of  his  love  on  the  past,  with  its 
joys  and  sorrows,  its  successes  and  failures,  but  also 
on  the  future,  with  its  ideals,  its  hopes,  its  blessed 
promises. 


St.  Mary's  To-Day. 


4>  4t  ^ 


Saint  Mary's,  as  it  is  to-day,  naturally,  looms 
up  large  in  the  picture  of  fifty  years  recalled  in 
these  Jubilee  days ;  not  that  it  is  regarded  as  a  thing 
apart  from  the  St.  Mary's  of  the  past,  but  because 
it  is  in  the  foreground  of  vision,  hence  is  out  of 
proportion  unless  focal  distance  is  taken  into  ac- 
count. The  glorification  of  the  present  does  not  in 
any  way,  however,  imply  comparison  with  the  past, 
rather  is  it  a  tribute  of  to-day  to  the  initiative,  the 
effort,  the  success,  of  yesterday.  The  soft-toned 
convent  bell,  brought  from  France  to  Notre  Dame 
in  1843,  that  first  rang  out  the  Angelus  over  the 
solitude  of  St.  Mary's,  still  marks  the  hours  to-day ; 
and  as  sweetly  and  as  resonantly  does  the  past  speak 
to  the  present  in  a  thousand  other  ways  and  through 
a  thousand  other,  if  silent,  tongues.  The  present 
that  forgets  its  past  can  hope  for  no  future. 

The  latest  decade  of  the  community's  history 
opens  with  1895,  and  the  Council  then  elected  to  the 

193 


13— 


194  A  Story  o^  Fifty  Ymrs 

administration  of  affairs,  insured  not  only  fidelity  to 
the  sacred  traditions  of  the  past,  but  at  the  same 
time  perpetuated  a  policy  that  stands  for  all  that  is 
highest  and  best  in  the  way  of  progress.    The  offi- 
cers chosen  were  Mother  M.  Annunciata,  Superior 
General;   Mother   M.   Perpetua,   Local   Superior; 
Mother  M.  Pauline,  Directress  of  the  Academy; 
Mother  M.  Siena,  Mistress  of  Novices,  and  Mother 
M.  Sabina,  Stewardess.    The  signal  success  which 
blessed  their  labors  proves  that  they  realized  the 
difference  between  personal  experience  and  the  col- 
lective wisdom  of  a  community,  which  is,  apart  from 
its  spiritual  nature,  the  resultant  of  time  and  human 
effort,  infused  with  that  higher  wisdom  that  comes 
of  disappointments  and  trials  and  lowliness  of  heart. 
It  was  during  this  administration  that  the  old 
spirit  of  devotedness  to  country  manifested  itself 
anew,  not  only  in  the  veteran  nurses  of  the  Civil 
War,  but  in  the  younger  generation  that  showed  a 
willingness,  rather  an  eagerness,  to  serve  the  sick 
soldiers  in  the  hospitals  of  the  South  during  the 
late  Spanish-American  trouble. 

August  23,  1898,  a  call  from  Washington, 
through  Miss  Ella  Loraine  Dorsey,  who  as  Daugh- 
ter of  the  American  Revolution,  stood  sponsor  for 


St.  Mary's  To-day  195 

the  Sisters  of  the  Holy  Cross,  met  with  unhesitat- 
ing response.  Though  the  sisters  had  just  received 
their  assignments  for  the  year  and  had  gone  to 
their  several  posts,  in  some  cases  to  distant  points, 
such  as  Idaho  and  Utah,  they  were  recalled  to  the 
Mother-House,  and  by  September  7th,  the  first  de- 
tachment of  nurses,  with  Sister  M.  Lydia  (Clif- 
ford) as  Directress  and  Sister  M.  Emerentiana 
.(Nowlan)  as  general  assistant  and  secretary,  ar- 
rived at  Camp  Hamilton,  Lexington,  Kentucky, 
where  they  at  once  began  their  arduous  labors 
under  trying  circumstances.  Meanwhile,  on  Au- 
gust 30th,  Mother  Annunciata  sent  the  following 
communication  to  the  Governor  of  Indiana : 

To  the  Honorable  J.  L.  Mount,  Indianapolis,  Indiana : 

Your  Excellency:  In  view  of  the  great  suffering  now 
existing  among  our  soldiers,  I  beg  to  offer  you  the  free  use 
of  our  hospitals  in  the  State,  St.  John's,  Anderson,  and  St. 
Joseph's,  South  Bend,  with  the  services  of  the  sisters  sta- 
tioned therein.  I  regret  exceedingly  that  both  are  small.  *  * 
*  *  but  such  as  they  are,  they  will  be  at  your  service  as 
long  as  you  may  find  it  necessary  or  convenient  to  use  them. 
I  have  the  honor  to  remain. 

Your  Excellency's  obedient  servant, 

Mother  M.  Annunciata, 
Mother  General  of  the  Sisters  of  the  Holy  Cross. 


196  A  Story  oi^  Fifty  Ye:ars 

To  this  letter  the  following  telegraphic  reply  was 
received : 

To  the  Mother  General  of  the  Sisters  of  the  Holy  Cross: 
In  the  name  and  on  behalf  of  Governor  Mount,  I  thank 
you  for  the  great  Christian  spirit  contained  in  your  generous 
offer  in  behalf  of  our  sick  soldiers.  The  tender  is  timely 
and  is  in  keeping  with  the  splendid  record  of  your  noble  sis- 

Charle;s  L.  Wilson, 
Military  Secretary. 

Similar  oflfers  were  made  to  Governor  Bushnell 
of  Ohio,  and  Governor  Tanner  of  Illinois,  regard- 
ing the  hospitals  in  their  respective  States  under 
the  Sisters  of  the  Holy  Cross. 

In  the  Division  Hospital  at  Camp  Hamilton,  then 
the  largest  field  hospital  in  the  United  States  ser- 
vice, there  were  sometimes  as  many  as  six  hundred 
patients  in  care  of  Sisters  of  Charity,  Sisters  of 
Mercy,  trained  secular  nurses  and  the  little  band 
of  Holy  Cross.  So  pressing  were  the  duties,  that 
working  hours  were  not  unfrequently  from  six  in 
the  morning  until  nine  or  ten  at  night,  with  barely 
time  for  meals.  Officers,  surgeons  and  soldiers 
were  kind  and  courteous,  showing  themselves  grate- 
ful for  any  and  every  service  rendered.  The  ladies 
in  Lexington,  as  well  as  the  various  sisterhoods  of 


FAVORITE  WALKS. 


196  A  Story  of  Fifty  Years 

To  this  ictter  the  following  telegraphic  reply  was 
received: 

To  the  Mother  General  of  the  Sisters  of  the  Holy  Cross: 
In  the  name  and  on  behalf  of  Governor  Mount,  I  thank 
you  for  the  great  Christian  spirit  contained  in  your  generous 
offer  in  behalf  of  our  sick  soldiers.  The  tender  is  timely 
and  is  in  keeping  with  the  splendid  record  of  your  nohle  sis- 

"^'^'*^'  Charf.ks  L.  Wir^oN, 

Military  Secretary. 

Similar  offers  were  made  to  Governor  Bushnell 
of  Ohio,  and  Governor  Tanner  of  Illinois,  regard- 
ing the  hospitals  in-'^tfl^rllJSStlv?  States  under 
the  Sisters  of  the  Holy  Cro<--<?. 

In  the  Division  Hospital  •  Hamilton,  then 

(he  largest  field  hospital  in  the  L. 
vice,  there  were  sometimes  as  many  as  six  hundred 
patients  in  care  of  Sisters  of  Charity,  Sisters  of 
Mercy,  trained  secular  nurses  and  the  little  band 
of  Holy  Cross.  So  pressing  were  the  duties,  that 
working  hours  were  not  unfrequently  from  six  in 
the  morning  until  nine  or  ten  at  night,  with  barely 
time  for  meals.  Officers,  surgeons  and  soldiers 
were  kind  and  courteous,  showing  themselves  grate- 
ful for  any  and  every  service  rendered.  The  ladies 
in  Lexington,  as  well  as  the  various  sisterhoods  of 


St.  Mary's  To-day  197 

that  city,  were  most  thoughtful  and  generous  in 
lending  aid  and  comfort  to  the  sisters  at  the  camp, 
and  when  some  of  them  succumbed  to  typhoid  and 
malaria, — two  Holy  Cross  sisters  among  them, — 
they  were  at  once  taken  to  St.  Joseph's  Hospital, 
Lexington,  where  they  received  every  care. 

The  time  of  service  was  short  and  yet  they  were 
weeks  to  be  remembered.  Reminiscences  of  the  sis- 
ters include  memories  of  weird  scenes,  when  the 
nurses  on  night  duty  passed  around  in  the  stillness 
in  the  city  of  tents ;  memories  of  touching  last  hours 
when  young  soldiers  spoke  of  dear  ones  they  would 
never  more  see,  entrusting  to  the  sisters  sacred 
messages  of  farewell ;  memories  of  Holy  Mass  cele- 
brated out  of  doors,  when  the  earth  seemed  one 
great  altar-stone  for  the  sublime  service. 

When  Camp  Hamilton  was  broken  up  in  Novem- 
ber and  the  soldiers  moved  South,  the  Sisters  of  the 
Holy  Cross  were  transferred  to  hospital  service 
at  Camp  Conrad,  near  Columbus,  Georgia,  where 
Christmas  was  spent  amid  surroundings  unusual  to 
those  who  were  wont  to  associate  the  Yuletide  with 
winter  scenes  in  northern  climes. 

In  January,  1899,  the  sisters  were  ordered  to 
Cuba  by  transport  Panama,  a  prize  vessel  captured 


198  A  Story  o^  Fii^ty  Ye;ars 

from  the  Spanish.  Arrived  in  Matanzas,  orders 
were  received  from  Surgeon-General  Sternberg  to 
return  to  the  United  States,  and,  soon  after,  the 
services  of  the  sisters,  fortunately,  were  no  longer 
needed.  Sister  Brendan  (Connor),  Directress  of 
Mt.  Carmel  Hospital,  Columbus,  Ohio,  at  the  in- 
stance of  Governor  Bushnell,  took  charge  of  two 
hospital  trains  which  were  sent  South  to  bring  home 
the  sick  soldiers  of  Ohio  regiments.  Sister  Bren- 
dan also  went  to  Porto  Rico  on  the  same  merciful 
errand. 

The  brief  term  of  service  of  the  sisters  was 
officially  recognized,  and  the  archives  at  St.  Mary's 
hold  highly-prized  testimonials  from  officials,  in- 
cluding record  of  a  personal  tribute  from  President 
McKinley,  as  to  the  efficiency,  devotedness  and 
"splendid  military  discipline"  of  the  Sisters  of  the 
Holy  Cross,  who  felt  honored  to  be  associated  in 
its  hour  of  need  with  their  beloved  country. 

Meanwhile,  on  the  "old  home-ground"  the  even 
tenor  of  things  went  on  in  the  steady  progress  of 
the  community.  We  say  even  tenor  of  things,  for 
alternations  of  success  and  failure  maintained  a 
certain  balance  and  there  was  always  a  general 
movement  on  and  upward.    Conditions  in  the  world 


St.  Mary's  To-day  199 

of  education  had  brought  about  a  change  in  things 
pedagogical,  and,  as  ever,  St.  Mary's  was  ready- 
to  seize  upon  the  salient  points  of  good  in  new  meth- 
ods, while  holding  fast  to  the  fundamental,  time- 
tried  principles  of  the  old  system.  In  thus  keeping 
"abreast  of  the  times," — a  saying  that  may  mean 
so  much  or  so  little, — St.  Mary's  has  ever  been  care- 
ful lest  emancipation  from  one  system  lead  into  new 
servitude.  As  a  disinterested  attestation  that  this 
effort  in  keeping  to  the  happy  medium  has  been 
successful,  we  may  cite  the  following  declaration 
on  the  part  of  a  prominent  college  woman,  inter- 
ested in  the  higher  education  of  women,  especially 
in  Catholic  schools.  She  writes :  "After  visiting  the 
schools  in  the  East,  I  am  impressed  with  the  fact 
that  the  Sisters  of  the  Holy  Cross  are  the  sanest, 
most  progressive  and  really  educational  sisters  I 
have  met.  Their  schools  are  on  a  very  high  plane." 
What  an  educational  institution  stands  for  soon 
makes  itself  felt,  and  while  higher  education  does 
not  mean  the  leading  of  minds  and  hearts  into  re- 
gions beyond  practical  everyday  truths,  it  does  mean 
the  elevation  of  the  soul  above  the  little  truths  that 
the  common  eye  can  seize.  To  truth,  to  charity, 
to  the  best  in  the  intellectual  and  the  spiritual  world. 


200  A  Story  of  Fifty  Ye;ars 

all  other  things  are  subordinate,  and  the  only  higher 
education  that  is  worth  while  is  the  education  which 
inculcates  this  doctrine  of  living.  The  moral  val- 
ues are  what  count,  and  from  earliest  years  St. 
Mary's  has  endeavored  to  imbue  the  minds  and 
hearts  of  its  students  with  this  idea.  The  annals 
of  the  Academy  relate  that  when  the  Right  Rev. 
Monsignor  Straniero  visited  St.  Mary's  in  1886, 
he  commented  upon  the  spirit  of  the  school,  which 
seemed  to  him  to  be  one  of  perfect  sympathy  and 
co-operation  between  pupils  and  teachers,  giving 
the  Academy,  as  the  distinguished  visitor  expressed 
it,  the  atmosphere  of  a  seminar,  as  understood  in 
European  institutions.  This  attitude  between  stu- 
dent and  teacher  is  precisely  the  one  desired  by  the 
faculty,  as  it  insures  best  results  in  the  way  of  sym- 
metrical development  of  mind  and  heart. 

While  in  these  years  every  energy  was  directed 
to  the  perfection  of  the  curriculum,  the  aids  to  gen- 
eral culture  were  not  neglected.  Literary  societies, 
art  circles  and  musical  clubs  still  supplemented  the 
solid  routine  work  in  other  lines.  Mother  Annun- 
ciata,  in  starting  St.  Mary's  Chimes,  the  official 
organ  of  the  Academy  and  College,  carried  out  the 
intention  originally  conceived  in  the  '60's,  when 


St.  Mary's  To-day  201 

regular  MS.  journals  were  written  and  edited  by 
the  students  and  read  by  them  at  the  weekly  assem- 
blies. The  relation  between  the  MS.  paper  and  the 
printed  one  illustrates  the  relation  between  St. 
Mary's  of  the  early  years  and  the  St.  Mary's  of 
to-day. 

The  spring  of  1900  found  the  community  mourn- 
ing the  death  of  Mother  Annunciata,  and  the  fair- 
est memory  of  her  was  the  heritage  of  noble  prin- 
ciples which  she  had  left  her  spiritual  children. 
The  material  good  we  do  to  others,  in  a  sense, 
passes  away;  the  truth  we  impart  to  them  lives 
forever. 

July,  1901,  rounded  another  period  in  the  admin- 
istration of  the  Congregation,  and  the  regular  elec- 
tion then  held  resulted  in  the  following  corps  of 
officers:  Mother  M.  Perpetua,  Superior  General; 
Mother  M.  Aquina,  Local  Superior;  Mother  M. 
Pauline,  Directress  of  the  Academy;  Mother  M. 
Bethlehem,  Mistress  of  Novices;  and  Mother  M. 
Sabina,  Stewardess.  Under  this  efficient  staff,  St. 
Mary's  is  to-day  fulfilling  the  promises  and  realiz- 
ing the  hopes  of  the  past. 

And  what  is  meant  by  the  St.  Mary's  of  to-day? 
In  our  brief  outline  of  its  history,  readers  at  least 


202  A  Story  o^  Fifty  Y^ars 

partly  familiar  with  the  material  growth  of  the  in- 
stitution have  been  supposed,  hence  the  absence  of 
description.  But,  even  at  the  risk  of  making  our 
sketch  savor  of  the  prospectus,  we  must  give  at 
least  an  impression  of  the  institution  that  stands  for 
the  labor  of  devoted  souls  to  whom  sorrow  and  toil 
were  as  privilege  and  opportunity  to  build  for  pos- 
terity. St.  Mary's  is  a  little  town  in  itself,  and  in- 
cludes in  a  connected  scheme  of  distinct  buildings 
the  college,  academy,  music-hall,  convent  and  novi- 
tiate. Separate  buildings  are  the  church,  close  to 
which  is  the  little  chapel  of  Loreto,  a  facsimile  of 
the  Santa  Casa  at  Loreto,  Italy;  and  adjoining  this 
is  the  presbytery,  the  home  of  St.  Mary's  chaplains. 
Northeast  of  the  church  is  St.  Joseph's  Hall,  the 
students'  infirmary,  and  north  of  that  stands  St. 
Angela's  Hall,  which  is  used  as  gymnasium,  as  well 
as  for  commencement  exercises.  The  convent,  no- 
vitiate, infirmary,  laimdry,  etc.,  spread  out  west  and 
south  of  the  academy,  making  an  extensive,  if  not 
imposing,  group  of  buildings. 

The  church,  Romanesque  in  style,  is  one  of  the 
most  notable  structures  at  St.  Mary's,  and  is  a  mon- 
ument to  Very  Reverend  Father  Sorin,  whose  plan 
was  carried  out  in  the  designs  of  the  architect.    The 


St.  Mary's  To-day  203 

stained-glass  windows  from  Le  Mans,  alone,  lend  it 
distinction.    The  clear  coloring,  the  delicate  blend- 
ing of  tones,  and  the  artistic  handling  of  form,  give 
the  windows  an  artistic  value  out  of  the  ordinary. 
They  are  all  memorial  gifts,  several  representing 
St.  Mary's  alumnae.    And  what  memories  are  called 
up  as  one  stands  at  the  threshold  of  the  holy  tem- 
ple!    Before  the  gleaming  altar  souls  have  bound 
themselves  to  Christ  by  triple  vow;    at  the  white 
shrine  of  Our  Lady,  young  hearts  have  risen  to 
noble  heights  of  aspiration  as  the  sweet  May  hymns 
rang  out;    kneeling  at   the   Sorrowing  Mother's 
shrine,    or    St.    Joseph's    altar,    or    close    to    the 
throne  of  the  Sacred  Heart,  many  a  soul-struggle 
has  been  fought  and  many  a  victory  gained.    His- 
toric fields  know  not  the  glory  of  the  soul-triumphs 
that  are  won  in  many  a  convent  chapel,  at  many  a 
wayside  shrine.    There  are  memories,  too,  of  noble 
ceremonials  when  St.  Mary's  has  been  honored  by 
the  presence  at  the  functions  of  the  Church  of  its 
highest  dignitaries, — a  Monsignor  SatoUi,  a  Mon- 
signor  Martinelli,  a  Monsignor  Falconio.     And  if 
its  walls  have  rung  with  the  Te  Deum,  they  have 
echoed  also  the  De  Profundis.     The  quiet  of  the 
dawn  hour  and  the  Holy  Mass,  the  hush  of  the  day 


204  A  Story  of  Fifty  Yfars 

hours  with  the  undying  star  of  Hght  in  the  sanctu- 
ary, the  peaceful  benediction  at  dusk — memories  of 
all  these  blend  with  the  voices  of  counsel  heard  in 
years  gone  by  at  retreats  or  in  sermons  in  the  hal- 
lowed place.  Truly,  the  chapel  is  the  heart  of  St. 
Mary's. 

In  the  growth  of  the  Academy  buildings  the  orig- 
inal design  was  not  adhered  to ;  necessity  frequently 
governed  the  plans  of  new  structures,  in  some  cases 
sacrificing  harmony  to  immediate  utility.  But  a 
system  of  massive  porches  and  the  general  arrange- 
ment of  the  grounds  since  the  erection  of  Collegiate 
Hall,  have  in  a  way  unified  the  effect.  The  acad- 
emy is  devoted  to  the  college-preparatory  depart- 
ment, which  includes  the  primary,  intermediate  and 
academic  classes.  The  students  of  this  division  have 
their  own  sleeping  apartments,  dining-hall,  recre- 
ation halls,  reading  and  class-rooms,  sharing  with 
the  Collegiates  the  chapel,  gymnasium  and  general 
assembly  hall. 

The  new  college  building  is  a  splendidly  planned 
structure  of  Bedford  stone  and  pressed  brick,  and 
is  distinctly  up  to  date  in  appointment.  Offices, 
parlors,  lecture-rooms,  library,  laboratories,  gym- 
nasium,  private   apartments,    lavatories, — all   are 


■^T| 


*% 


COLLEGIATE  HALL.   '^^'^       «; 


If 


I 


204  A  Story  of  Fifty  Yejars 

hours  wii(  .iic  undying  star  of  light  in  the  sanctu- 
ary, the  {/caceful  benediction  at  dusk — memories  of 
all  these  blend  with  the  voices  of  counsel  heard  in 
years  gone  by  at  retreats  or  in  sermons  in  the  hal- 
lowed place.  Truly,  the  chapel  is  the  heart  of  St. 
Mary's. 

In  the  growth  '"'^>g- 

^  ;  V .  i  iied  tiic  piaiis  oi  new  strucLUito,  m  some  cases 
sacrificing  harmony  to  immediate  utility.  But  a 
system  of  massive  porches  and  the  general  arrange- 
ment of  the  srrounds  since  the  erection  of  Colle2:iate 
Hp'V.  nnve  m  ?!  w---      •   '-    '    ■  r>  eftect       ^he  acad- 

tniary> 
academic  classes.  The  students  of  this  division  have 
their  own  sleeping  apartments,  dining-hall,  recre- 
ation halls,  reading  and  class-rooms,  sharing  with 
the  CoUegiates  the  chapel,  gymnasium  and  general 
assembly  hall. 

The  new  college  building  is  a  splendidly  planned 
structure  of  Bedford  stone  and  pressed  brick,  and 
is  distinctly  up  to  date  in  appointment.  Offices, 
parlors,  lecture-rooms,  library,  laboratories,  gym- 
nasium,  private   apartments,    lavatories, — all   are 


-KH 


St.  Mary's  To-day  205 

thoroughly  equipped.  This  department  is  privi- 
leged to  have  a  private  chapel  in  which  the  Blessed 
Sacrament  is  kept,  and  from  this  centre  of  devotion 
there  radiate  a  strength  and  light,  without  which 
all  other  strength  and  light  count  for  little. 

The  edifices  devoted  to  convent  and  novitiate  uses 
are,  of  course,  severely  plain,  but  are  commodious, 
and  in  comparison  with  the  accommodations  of 
early  years,  luxurious.  The  community  infirmary, 
too,  has  its  tabernacle  before  which  burns  the  un- 
dying flame  that  tells  of  the  Divine  Dweller  there. 

Within  the  buildings,  wherever  one  turns,  there 
is  that  which  elevates  heart  and  mind.  Beautiful 
reproductions  of  the  world's  masterpieces  in  paint- 
ing and  sculpture  supplement  the  spoken  and 
printed  word  in  the  inculcation  of  love  for  the  best. 
Of  the  art-teaching  and  the  art  environment  of  St. 
Mary's,  the  late  lamented  Eliza  Allen  Starr,  surely 
a  competent  critic,  once  wrote: 

As  to  St.  Mary's  Art  School,  I  believe  it  is  quite  un- 
surpassed in  the  thoroughness  of  its  training  or  the  study 
of  nature.  There  have  been,  still  are,  artists  among  the 
sisters  who  are  giving  forth,  far  and  wide,  among  all  their 
missions,  the  best  principles  of  art,  while  at  St.  Mary's  are 
monuments  to  those  who  have  adorned  wall  and  sanctuary 
with  works  which  will  inspire  devotion  through  the  coming 


206  A  Story  of  Fifty  Years 

generations,  meriting  for  it  the  name  of  "a  centre  of  Chris- 
tian art."  It  is  an  unconscious,  artistic  education  which  St. 
Mary's  is  bestowing  upon  all  who  are  trained  within  her 
walls. 

Cardinal  Newman's  dictum,  "accomplishments 
are  not  education,"  is  indeed  true.  It  is  also  true 
that  training  in  the  arts  is  not  necessarily  the  teach- 
ing of  accomplishments.  Music,  as  a  science  and  as 
an  art,  may  be  as  broadly  educative  as  are  chem- 
istry and  mathematics ;  it  is  in  this  wide  sense  that 
it  is  considered  at  St.  Mary's,  where  from  early 
years,  as  noted  elsewhere  in  this  narrative,  music 
has  been  taken  seriously.  The  physics  of  sound, 
the  evolution  of  the  various  schools  of  music,  the 
literature  of  the  art, — all  enter  into  the  regular 
musical  course,  which  aims  to  give  the  highest  tech- 
nical training,  as  well  as  the  best  in  the  way  of  intel- 
ligent and  artistic  appreciation  and  interpretation. 
St.  Mary's  Conservatory  has  received  splendid  tes- 
timonials from  master-teachers  at  home  and  abroad. 

Of  the  other  departments  it  need  only  be  said  that 
education  without  participation,  so  long  a  seeming 
principle  in  all  schools  of  other  years,  no  longer  pre- 
vails, and  the  laboratory  method,  the  research 
method,  fully  obtain.    Electivism,  long  under  con- 


St.  Mary's  To-day  207 

sideration,  is  arranged  for  in  the  curriculum  to 
which  the  Golden  Jubilee  year  has  led,  that  is,  a 
modified  electivism,  a  choice  under  right  guidance 
and  along  correlated  lines  of  study.  The  general 
culture-value  of  the  English  courses  is  thoroughly 
recognized,  and  that  a  measure  of  success  has  been 
reached,  is  evident  from  these  appreciative  words 
by  an  eminent  man  of  letters : 

I  have  not  had  the  opportunity  of  making  a  thorough 
examination  of  the  methods  of  teaching  literature  in  St. 
Mary's  Academy,  but  I  have  been  in  the  way  of  knowing  the 
spirit  and  aims  of  the  department,  and  of  getting  into  the  at- 
mosphere of  the  school.  I  have  been  struck  by  the  evi- 
dences of  a  true  feeling  for  literature ;  a  sense  of  its  vital  sig- 
nificance, of  its  spiritual  as  well  as  aesthetic  value.  The 
interest  of  the  students  and  the  spirit  and  attitude  disclosed 
in  their  written  work,  have  impressed  me  as  showing  high 
intelligence  in  teachers  and  enthusiastic  responsiveness  on 
the  part  of  students.  I  have  felt  that  literature  is  interpreted 
at  St.  Mary's  in  its  highest  relations  and  deepest  meaning; 
that  it  is  approached  with  fresh  feeling  and  studied  with 
true  insight. 

The  work  in  philosophy,  literature,  history  and 
science  is  supplemented  by  excellent  lectures.  The 
students  enjoy  the  privilege  of  hearing  discourses 
by  the  Reverend  Fathers  of  the  University  of  Notre 
Dame,  the  benefit  of  whose  knowledge  and  experi- 


208  A  Story  oi^  Fifty  Y^ars 

ence  is  always  at  St.  Mary's  command,  and  by  other 
distinguished  speakers,  divines  and  laymtn. 

Methods  of  study  which  obtain  to-day  call  for 
much  in  the  way  of  equipment,  and  even  if  one 
regrets  the  passing  of  the  days  of  few  books  and 
much  learning,  a  large  library  is  a  necessity  in  an 
educational  institution.  Fifty  years  ago  the  books 
of  St.  Mary's  library  were  easily  carried  by  one  sis- 
ter in  the  process  of  moving  from  Bertrand  to  the 
present  St.  Mary's.  Now  there  is  a  collection  of 
books  running  up  into  the  thousands  and  handled 
by  card  catalogue.  The  department  libraries,  too, 
have  assumed  respectable  proportions,  and  books 
are  used,  not  as  ornaments,  but  as  regular  mental 
tools. 

As  to  laboratories,  St.  Mary's,  once  proud  to 
possess  an  air-pump,  now  has  well-appointed  physi- 
cal, chemical,  geological,  botanical  and  biological 
laboratories,  where  the  order  of  studies  in  the  sci- 
ences is  research  work. 

This  cataloguing  of  the  special  features  of  St. 
Mary's  and  its  advantages  must  conclude  with  a 
passing  mention  of  a  department,  which,  at  its  in- 
stitution a  few  years  ago,  was  looked  upon  as,  to 
say  the  least,  a  questionable  innovation,  but  about 


EAST  CAMPUS. 


208  A  Story  o^  Fii^ty  Ykars 

ence  is  always  at  St.  Mary's  command,  and  by  other 
distinguished  speakers,  divines  and  laymen. 

Methods  of  study  which  obtain  to-day  call  for 
much  in  the  way  of  equipment,  and  even  if  one 
regrets  the  passing  of  the  days  of  few  books  and 
much  learning,  a  large  library  is  a  necessity  in  an 
education  he  books 

of  St  -  le  ca&iiy  cairied  by  one  sis- 

ter in  the  process  ot  moving  from  Bert  rand  to  the 
present  St.  Mary's.  Now  there  is  a  collection  of 
books  running  up  into  the  thousands  and  handled 
by  card  catalogue.  .J^k^^ep^^^nt  libraries,  too, 
have  a'-?''"T!f"«^1  respectable  proportions,  and  books 
ornaments,  but  r  al 

tools. 

As  to  laboratori  ly's,  once  proud  to 

possess  an  air-pump,  now  has  well-appointed  physi- 
cal, chemical,  geological,  botanical  and  biological 
laboratories,  where  the  order  of  studies  in  the  sci- 
ences is  research  work. 

This  cataloguing  of  the  special  features  of  St. 
Mary's  and  its  advantages  must  conclude  with  a 
passing  mention  of  a  department,  which,  at  its  in- 
stitution a  few  years  ago,  was  looked  upon  as,  to 
say  the  least,  a  questionable  innovation,  but  about 


St.  Mary's  To-day  209 

which  there  is  no  question  now — namely,  the  de- 
partment of  Physical  Culture.  Under  the  direction 
of  a  graduate  from  Dr.  Sargent's  famous  Boston 
School  of  Physical  Training,  the  work,  general  and 
special  has  been  attended  with  splendid  results,  and 
the  admirable  equipment  of  the  two  gymnasiums  is 
an  incentive  to  the  best  in  physical  training  along 
rationally  conservative  lines. 

The  restful  scenic  beauty  of  St.  Mary's  environ- 
ment must  be  seen  to  be  appreciated.  High  on  a 
plateau  extending  a  south  and  west  exposure  to  the 
winding  St.  Joseph  River,  rich  in  noble  trees, — 
great  rugged  oaks,  sycamores,  maples  and  pines, — 
the  site  has  every  advantage  of  natural  beauty; 
added  to  this,  art  has  joined  with  nature  in  making 
lovely  this  home  of  peace.  Long  stretches  of  lawn, 
broad  acres  of  orchards,  out-of-door  shrines  that 
seem  a  part  of  their  sylvan  setting,  shady  walks 
that  lead  to  ideal  nooks  along  the  river,  lend  en- 
chantment to  the  landscape.  No  word-picture,  no 
reproduction  in  pencil  or  brush,  can  give  the  charm, 
the  atmosphere  of  it  all. 

But  if  the  ornaments  of  a  home  are  the  friends 
who  visit  it,  so  may  we  say  that  the  pride  of  St. 
Mary's  are  those  who  call  her  Alma  Mater.    The 


210  A  Story  o^  Fifty  Y^ars 

formal  Alumnae  Association,  composed  of  the  grad- 
uates of  the  institution,  now  numbering  hundreds, 
has  shown  itself  devoted  and  loyal;  no  less  so  are 
the  thousands  who,  though  non-graduates,  look 
back  with  grateful  hearts  to  the  fair  school-days 
spent  at  St.  Mary's.  It  is  a  sweet  consolation  to 
feel  that  the  love  of  young  hearts  bears  in  mature 
years  the  fruits  of  loyal  deeds. 

Much  of  what  has  been  written  of  the  St.  Mary's 
of  to-day  refers  to  the  educational  work  alone,  but 
all  else  of  the  community's  spirit  is  implied.  No 
part  of  a  work  of  a  Congregation  stands  alone,  and 
in  the  building  up  of  the  Mother-House,  there  is 
no  most  distant  mission  of  the  Order  of  the  Sisters 
of  the  Holy  Cross  that  is  not  deeply  concerned,  and 
there  is  no  Sister  of  the  Holy  Cross  who  has  not 
shared  in  the  toils,  the  sorrows,  the  helps,  the  suc- 
cesses, that  have  come  to  their  convent  home.  The 
Jubilee  celebration  is  held  at  St.  Mary's,  and  it  is 
also  held  in  every  house  of  the  Order. 

Briefly  and  in  barest  outline  has  the  story  of  the 
community's  fifty  years  been  told.  Benefactors  and 
friends  have  been  referred  to  only  in  general  terms ; 
not  because  they  were  forgotten,  but  because  they 
are  all  remembered.    The  tablets  of  the  heart  hold 


St.  Mary's  To-day  211 

the  names,  but  the  written  record  would  be  too 
long.  Diffculties  have  been  lightly  touched  upon, 
not  because  they  were  few  and  of  passing  impor- 
tance, but  because  through  them  the  Congregation 
has  been  purified  and  sanctified,  and  any  successes 
that  have  come,  had  their  beginnings  perhaps  in 
those  very  trials.  Community  soul-processes,  no 
less  than  individual  soul-processes,  are  sacred.  The 
outcome  of  movements  rather  than  the  weary  strug- 
gle toward  it  has  been  registered,  but  to  the 
thoughtful  reader  results  are  worth  only  what  they 
cost,  and  that  which  is  bought  with  the  coin  of  sacri- 
fice bears  upon  it  forever  the  stamp  of  its  price. 
And  has  the  record  of  all  these  years  been  only  of 
love  and  devotedness  and  loyalty  and  perseverance 
on  the  part  of  the  sisterhood  pledged  to  St.  Mary's  ? 
Has  every  Sister  of  the  Holy  Cross  regarded  the 
honor  of  the  Mother-House  as  dearer  than  her 
own?  There  have  been  defections,  but  not  many; 
and  though  St.  Mary's  has  felt  and  still  feels  the 
sorrow  that  comes  to  a  mother  in  the  disloyalty  of 
a  child,  like  a  mother  she  tries  to  palliate  the  wrong, 
if  it  was  wrong,  and  not  rather  weakness ;  and  she 
tenderly  prays  for  them  as  she  turns  with  trusting 
heart  and  kindling  eyes  to  her  faithful  ones,  who  in 


212  A  Story  o^  Fifty  Ye:ars 

this  year  of  Jubilee  gather  at  the  dear  Mother- 
House,  at  the  dear  home-altar,  there  as  Sisters  of 
the  Holy  Cross,  to  renew  vows  of  fealty,  not  "until 
death  do  us  part,"  but  for  time  and  eternity. 


St.  Mary's  To-Morrow. 


^  ^  ^ 


St.  Mary's  is  fifty  years  old,  and  its  brief  story 
has  been  related.  There  is  a  finality  about  such  a 
statement  that  does  not  seem  in  keeping  with  a  jubi- 
lee spirit.  Half  a  century  is  not  long  for  a  religious 
community  that  is  ever  renewing  its  youth,  that  is 
ever  placing  before  the  young  noblest  ideals  for  the 
building  up  of  the  perfect  life.  Let  us  rather  say — 
St.  Mary's  is  fifty  years  young,  and  its  period  of 
fullest  achievement  is  to  come.  The  past  has  but 
awakened  "the  love  of  excellence"  which,  as  Bishop 
Spalding  says,  "bears  us  up  on  the  swift  wing  and 
plumes  of  high  desire, — 

Without  which  whosoe'er  consumes  his  days 
Leaveth  such  vestige  of  himself  on  earth 
As  smoke  in  air  or  foam  upon  the  waves." 

And  if  the  prophet-gaze  were  given  us,  what 
would  we  wish  to  see  as  the  future  of  the  Sisters  of 
the  Holy  Cross?  First  and  last,  only  what  God 
wills  for  the  Congregation,  as  His  instrument  of 

213 


214  A  Story  of  Fifty  Years 

good.  Humanly  speaking,  we  would  wish  St. 
Mary's  to  be  forever  young,  young  in  energy,  in 
strength,  in  courage ;  yet  old  in  patience,  in  endur- 
ance, in  wisdom.  We  would  wish  to  see  its  powers 
grow  that  it  might  always  prove  a  factor  for  good 
in  Church  and  State,  a  promoter  of  the  truly  Chris- 
tian, truly  Catholic  spirit  in  the  home  and  in  society. 
We  would  wish  its  missions  to  multiply  and  grow 
strong,  spreading  the  Congregation  of  the  Holy 
Cross  wherever  there  is  need  of  ministrations  for 
the  sick,  care  for  the  orphan,  training  for  youth. 
We  would  wish  the  community  to  be  ever  progress- 
ive in  the  best  sense,  realizing  that  the  spirit  of  the 
age  is  the  one  in  which  we  live  and  is  not  to  be  con- 
demned, save  in  some  of  its  exaggerated  manifesta- 
tions. We  would  wish  St.  Mary's,  with  Mary  Im- 
maculate as  ideal,  to  stand  for  the  highest  and  the 
best,  for  faith  and  hope  and  love  and  knowledge, 
translated  into  service  for  God  and  humanity,  thus 
insuring  for  the  Congregation  of  the  Sisters  of  the 
Holy  Cross,  and  for  St.  Mary's,  the  nearest  ap- 
proach on  earth  to  immortality. 


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A  story  of  fifty  years >  from  the 
annals  of  the  Congregation  of 
the  Sisters  of  the  Holy  Cross y 
1555kl905f 


